One Market, One Rulebook? Simplification, Risk and Professional Judgement in the Proposed EU Public Procurement Act

The proposed EU Public Procurement Act promises simplification through a single, directly applicable rulebook, while leaving important areas of national discretion intact. The paper examines how data-driven risk-analysis tools, including Arachne+, may reintroduce fragmentation and uncertainty through uneven data and national alternatives. It argues that legal harmonisation must be accompanied by professional capacity, human judgement, transparency and effective rights of challenge.