The PPA, in accordance with Article 37 of Directive 2014/24/EU, provides for centralized public procurement and central purchasing bodies. A central purchasing body is a contracting entity that in order to satisfy the procurement needs of other contracting authorities can conduct a centralized public procurement procedure.
Centralized public procurement is the permanent activity of the contracting authority acting as a central purchasing body. The central purchasing body can perform basically two types of activities within the framework of centralized public procurement activities.
The centralized public procurement activity is, on the one hand, the so-called activity of a wholesale nature, in the framework of which the central purchasing body procures goods or services with the aim of reselling the thus acquired products or services to other contracting authorities [see PPA Section 3. 26. a)]. The procurement of these products and services from the central purchasing body by the contracting authorities for whose benefit the central purchasing body procured them, as well as the additional public procurement services provided by the central purchasing body to the contracting authorities in the case of these purchases, are considered an exception according to Section 9 (1) k) of the PPA.
On the other hand, the centralized public procurement activity is the conduct of public procurement procedures, the conclusion of contracts or framework agreements, through which the central purchasing body acquires goods or orders services or public works for other contracting authorities.
In Hungary, the main central purchasing body is the Directorate General for Public Procurement, whose operation is regulated in detail by Government Decree No. 168/2004 (V. 25.) on the centralized public procurement system and the tasks and powers of the central purchasing body. In addition to the Directorate General for Public Procurement, the PPA or based on the authorization of another law, the Government may regulate in a decree the organizations authorized to conduct centralized public procurement procedures and their procedures in the case of certain special procurement subjects.
The conduct of procurement procedures for communication and organizational development falls under the responsibility and authority of the National Communications Office as a central purchasing body. The activities of the National Communications Office are detailed in Government Decree No. 162/2020 (IV. 30.) on the legal status of the National Communications Office and governmental communications procurement.
In addition, the Digital Government Agency Private Limited Liability Company acts as a central purchasing body in relation to IT procurements for budgetary organs under the control or supervision of the Government, for budgetary organs or institutions under the control or supervision of these organisation, furthermore for the Prime Minister's Government Office, and for foundations and public foundations established by the Government or under the exercise of founding rights by the Government, as well as majority state-owned economic companies. The tasks of the Digital Government Agency are regulated in details in Government Decree No. 301/2018 (XII. 27.) on the centralized public procurement system for government IT procurements.
The procurement of certain medicines and medical devices is the responsibility of the National Health Insurance Fund Manager, according to the rules of Gov. Decree 16/2012. (II. 16.) on the special rules for the public procurement of medicines and medical devices.