A new General Executive Decree lays out rules of transparency, control, and competition in the awarding of public contracts by the Holy See and the Vatican City State.
By Vatican News
The Secretariat for the Economy has today issued General Executive Decree No. 1/2025, signed by Prefect Maximino Caballero Ledo. The Decree contains the Implementing Regulation of the June 2020 Apostolic Letter issued motu proprio regarding the “Norms on transparency, control, and competition in the procedures for the awarding of public contracts of the Holy See and the Vatican City State,” which was subsequently amended by the January 2024 Apostolic Letter issued motu proprio entitled “To better harmonize”.
The new decree, signed on the 5th of August and composed of 8 sections and 52 articles, applies the provisions of the motu proprio “To Better Harmonise”, which updated the Holy See’s Code of Contracts. The document is the fruit of close collaboration between various Vatican bodies, with the aim of simplifying procurement procedures while maintaining high standards of transparency and fairness.
The updated code reaffirms the principles of transparency, oversight, and competition, ensuring equal treatment of various operators and preventing discrimination among bidders. It also promotes swift administrative action, efficiency, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness, all in keeping with the Church’s social teaching.
In line with the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, the new regulations draw on past experience to balance the need for transparency and oversight with streamlined procedures. The goal is to guide economic decisions towards greater integrity and the sustainable use of resources.
The decree was promulgated through publication on the website of L’Osservatore Romano. It will take effect on the 10th of August, before being published on www.bandipubblici.va and included in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis.
