Executive Order 12849: Implementation of Agreement With the European Community on Government Procurement
President: Bill Clinton
Implemented reciprocal purchasing treatment for procurement covered by a 1993 U.S.–European Community agreement, subject to listed agencies, thresholds and exceptions.
Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 12849 still in effect? No. Executive Order 12849 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 12849 do?
EO 12849 implemented a United States–European Community government-procurement agreement by removing specified Buy American price preferences from covered purchases. It asked listed agencies to give eligible European Community goods treatment comparable to U.S. goods above the agreement’s thresholds, assigned interpretation to USTR outside defense procurement, and directed the acquisition councils to incorporate the policy within 30 days. Later agreements and procurement regulations govern current purchases.
Before and after
Before the order
Buy American price preferences could apply to covered purchases absent a statutory waiver or trade-agreement implementation.
After the order
Listed agencies were directed to remove the differential for qualifying purchases within the agreement’s scope.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Listed agencies | Apply comparable treatment to covered U.S. and EC goods | For qualifying above-threshold procurements |
| USTR | Interpret the agreement outside defense procurement | As implementation questions arose |
| Federal acquisition councils | Incorporate the policy into procurement regulations | Within 30 days |
What happened next
EO 12849 signed.
The 30-day acquisition-rule direction matured.
Official text and current USTR procurement framework rechecked.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order applied only within the 1993 agreement’s agency, product, threshold and exception limits. It did not waive restrictions beyond statutory authority; current solicitations must be evaluated under the governing trade agreement and acquisition rules.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- USTR — WTO Government Procurement Agreement (opens in a new tab) Official record
- GovInfo — procurement statutory notes (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 14, 2026. How we research →