Title: Tool or Weapon? The Regulatory Boundaries and Institutional Impact of the EU International Procurement Instrument

Authors: Ding Ru, Hu Jia

Abstract: The European Union (EU) International Procurement Instrument (IPI) is a unilateral procurement regime shaped by the convergence of internal industrial policy priorities and external trade pressures. It operates on a logic of conditional reciprocity to secure access to noncovered procurement markets. This article traces the IPI’s legislative evolution and institutional design, situating it within the EU’s broader procurement framework. A comparative analysis of the IPI against the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) reveals the IPI’s unilateral character and its implications for the multilateral order. From a World Trade Organization (WTO) normative perspective, the article argues that while the IPI may preserve formal compatibility with government procurement exceptions, its practical application poses spillover risks that could undermine the stability and predictability of multilateral rules. In essence, the IPI represents a unilateral restructuring of the international procurement regime amid shifting patterns of global economic governance. Finally, drawing on the IPI’s first enforcement action, the article proposes response strategies for China at both the governmental and corporate levels.

Keywords: Government Procurement, The European Union (EU) International Procurement Instrument (IPI), World Trade Organization (WTO), Non-covered Procurement, Multilateral Procurement Order