La notion de ''mieux-disant'' dans les marchés publics de travaux des collectivités locales : mythes et réalités

The CONCEPT OF THE ''BEST BID'' IN PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACTS AWARDED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES : myth and reality

• Auteur / Autrice : Jean Delbos
• Direction : Jean-François Couzinet
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Droit public
• Date : Soutenance en 1996
• Etablissement(s) : Toulouse 1

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Contrats administratifs

Marchés de travaux publics

Marchés publics locaux

Résumé

Maintes fois reiterees par les pouvoirs publics, la volonte d'attribuer les marches au mieux disant se traduit-elle dans les faits ou releve-t-elle du voeu pieux ? apres avoir situe le cadre juridique du mode de passation des marches publics de travaux des collectivites locales, l'etude met en evidence l'integration progressive de la notion de mieux disant dans le droit. Tout d'abord, par la mise en place des regles propres a garantir le jeu d'une concurrence saine et legale, ensuite par la definition de criteres d'appreciation permettant aux collectivites locales de choisir de facon pertinente et objective, l'offre la mieux disante. Enfin, par l'instauration de moyens de controle de maniere a garantir la bonne application du droit. Toutefois, force est de constater que les marches des collectivites locales sont en tres grande majorite, attribues au moins disant : la reponse a apporter a cette derive n'est pas identique suivant que l'on se place du point de vue des professionnels, des maitres d'ouvrages ou de l'administration. Elimination des offres anormalement basses, complements a apporter aux criteres d'appreciation des offres du code des marches publics, valorisation des prestations par la qualite sont autant d'axes developpes par les professionnels qui se heurtent a une conjoncture defavorable, a un etat partage entre la volonte de satisfaire les interets de la collectivite, le souci de preserver la concurrence, le souhait d'accroitre l'autonomie des collectivites locales et le renforcement des controles. La necessite de codifier un droit touffu est indeniable : la reforme entreprise du code des marches publics pour aller vers un code des contrats publics en est la preuve. Mais l'application de la regle du mieux disant dans les marches publics des collectivites locales ne saurait se limiter a une approche purement juridique.

The french political authorities have on many occasions expressed their desire that public works contracts should be awarded on the basis of the + best bid ;. Does this mirror the reality of the situation, or is it nothing more than empty words ? after examining the legal framework of the procedure by which local bodies award their public works contracts, the present study sets forth the way in which the + best bid ; notion has been progressively integrated into the law. To begin with, this integration has taken place as the result of the implementation of rules specifically designed to guarantee free and fair competition, then by the definition of assessment criteria which allow local bodies to make their choice of the + best bid ; in a coherent and objective fashion, and finally, through the setting up of checking procedures, in such a way as to ensure the proper application of the law. It has to be observed, however, that the contracts in question are, in their great majority, awarded to the lowest bidder. How best to respond to this tendency depends on whether one is looking at the situation from the point of view of the professionals (construction companies), the immediate clients (local bodies) or the iltimate political authorities (the relevant government ministry). The elimination of abnormally low bids, additions to the criteria for assessing bids in the framework of public sector contracts, and also the extent to which quality considerations can enter into the evaluation of a project - these various themes have been developed by the professionals, who at the same time are faced with an unfavourable economic situation and a state system that is divided between potentially conflicting concerns, i. E. To take into account the interests of the electorate as a whole, to respect the rules of competition, to increase the autonomy of local bodies, and to tighten up checking procedures. The necessity to codify the existing tangled mass of laws is undeniable, this is demonstrated by the reform of the public sector market code that has already been set in motion, with a view to moving in the direction of a public sector contract code. But the application of the + best bid ; rule in public works contracts awarded by local authorities will need to go beyond a purely legalistic approach.