EIPA study guide
EIPA · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The European Public Procurement Certification is one of the certifications promoted by the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), an institution based in Maastricht with an office in Luxembourg that describes its mission as supporting public administration across the EU and offers training, technical assistance and consultancy, benchmarking and activities for legal practitioners. The credential sits alongside EIPA's wider catalogue of practice-based courses, which covers topics such as public procurement, state aid, Structural and cohesion funds/ESIF, Better Regulation and impact assessment, EU decision-making and negotiation, quality management/CAF, data protection and cyber security, EU law, and Artificial Intelligence. The EIPA study guide has 6 sections and about 1,501 words.
01Management of Public Funding: ESIF, RRF, Procurement and State Aid
EU public funding is a chain: policy → legal base → programme → project → payment → audit. Know the three management modes: shared, direct and indirect.
297 words, about 1 min02EU Governance and Policy-Making: Better Regulation, Negotiation and the Presidency
The Commission holds the (near) monopoly of legislative initiative. Under the ordinary legislative procedure, Parliament and Council co-legislate: Commission proposal, EP committee rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs, Council working parties and COREPER, up to two readings plus conciliation; in practice trilogues settle most files.
252 words, about 1 min03Effective Public Administration: Knowledge Management and CAF
Knowledge management distinguishes tacit knowledge (experience, intuition) from explicit knowledge (documents, databases). Nonaka’s SECI cycle - socialisation, externalisation, combination, internalisation - explains how the two convert.
234 words, about 1 min04Global EU: CFSP, Trade and External Action
The Common Foreign and Security Policy is intergovernmental: the European Council sets strategic direction, the High Representative (also a Commission Vice-President) and the EEAS conduct policy, and the Council decides - normally by unanimity, with constructive abstention; implementing decisions may use QMV. CSDP covers civilian and military missions.
247 words, about 1 min05EU Law and Policies: Digital, Green Deal, AFSJ and General EU Law
Know the sources: Treaties, regulations (directly applicable), directives (binding as to result, transposed), decisions, and general principles. Key doctrines: supremacy, direct effect, indirect effect, state liability.
229 words, about 1 min06Artificial Intelligence: The EU AI Act and Its Risk Framework
The EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689), in force since 1 August 2024, takes a risk-based approach with four tiers. Prohibited practices include social scoring, manipulative techniques exploiting vulnerabilities, and certain biometric uses.
242 words, about 1 min