Transparency Serbia (TS) reported that, since January 2024, the Constitutional Court has not reviewed its initiative challenging a provision of the Law on Special Procedures for the organization of the Expo Belgrade 2027, which excludes the application of public procurement rules.
TS analysis shows that this legal gap allowed “Expo companies” to award contracts worth over €330 million with minimal competition. In 86% of cases, only a single valid bid was submitted. The largest portion of public works, including the National Stadium, was directly contracted to the Chinese company Power China without competitive bidding.
The law, adopted in late 2023, bypassed standard procedures under the Law on State Administration, the Anti-Corruption Law, and parliamentary rules. By exempting Expo companies from public procurement, there is no mechanism for companies to challenge discriminatory criteria or for the Public Procurement Office to intervene, increasing the risk of mismanagement and inefficiency.
TS submitted a formal initiative to the Constitutional Court in January 2024, highlighting the unconstitutionality of Article 14 and its conflict with Serbia’s EU Stabilization and Association Agreement. Despite multiple follow-ups, the court has not indicated when it will consider the case.
Analysis of 72 procurement procedures under the disputed provision shows an average of 1.56 bids submitted, with only 1.19 considered valid. In most cases, contracts were awarded to the sole bidder. Overall, Expo companies have signed contracts worth approximately 39.47 billion dinars (~€330 million), while the estimated total value of Expo-related infrastructure, including the National Stadium, exceeds 207 billion dinars.
These findings indicate significant concerns over transparency and competition in state procurement for Expo Belgrade 2027 projects.
