Government Procurement Agreement
The GPA is a plurilateral agreement which mutually opens up government procurement markets among its parties within the framework of the WTO. The UK acceded as an independent party on 1 January 2021.
	The GPA consists of (a) the main text of the agreement and (b) schedules of coverage. The main text establishes rules for transparent and non-discriminatory conditions of competition in government procurement. These rules apply to procurement activities that parties have agreed to cover under the GPA. Details of the entities, goods, services and value thresholds for procurement activities in specific jurisdictions are set out in the schedules of coverage.
	The Trade Act provides the Government and the devolved authorities with the power to make the changes to domestic legislation which are necessary to ensure the UK’s obligations arising from its status as an independent party to the GPA can be fully implemented. It also ensures that the UK is able to take action against GPA parties who do not observe their obligations to the UK.