13:19 15 November 2025
Polish government removing domestically produced laptops from KPO
In Poland, public tenders for school IT equipment – funded by the National Recovery Plan (KPO) – require both TCO and EPEAT eco-certifications, effectively excluding some domestic suppliers. For example, Polish company NTT Systems holds a TCO certificate but lacks EPEAT. Meanwhile, countries like Germany and Portugal do not impose such strict dual-certification requirements, instead applying broader sustainability criteria or ISO standards.
Despite changing justifications – from cybersecurity to EU DNSH compliance – the Ministry of Digital Affairs insists on the dual-certification condition. This has raised concerns of unfair favoring of large foreign brands, many of which are members of the lobbying organizations behind the certification recommendations.
Industry associations claim the goal is to ensure device durability, energy efficiency, and safety, but the rules exceed formal regulatory requirements, raising questions of transparency and fair competition.
(pb.pl)
