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1. Public procurement under the Programme shall be carried out in accordance with the rules on procurement laid down in the Financial Regulation.

2. In public procurement procedures for the purpose of the Programme, complementing the principles laid down in the Financial Regulation, the contracting authority shall act in accordance with the following principles:

(a) to promote in all Member States across the Union and throughout the supply chain, the widest and most open participation possible by economic operators, in particular new entrants, start-ups and SMEs, including in the case of subcontracting by the tenderers;

(b) to ensure effective competition in the tendering process, and where possible, to avoid reliance on a single provider, in particular for critical equipment and services, while taking into account the objectives of technological independence and continuity of services;

(c) to follow the principles of open access and competition, by tendering on the basis of the provision of transparent and timely information, clear communication of the applicable procurement rules and procedures, selection and award criteria and any other relevant information allowing a level-playing field for all potential tenderers;

(d) to protect the security and public interest of the Union and its Member States, including through a reinforcement of the strategic autonomy of the Union, in particular in technological terms, by performing risk assessments and implementing disruption risk mitigation measures, for instance when only one supplier is available;

(e) to comply with the general security requirements referred to in Article 30(3) and to contribute to the protection of the essential security interests of the Union and its Member States;

(f) by way of derogation from Article 167 of the Financial Regulation, to use, where appropriate, multiple supply sources in order to ensure better overall control of the Programme, its cost and schedule;

(g) to promote service accessibility, continuity and reliability;

(h) to enhance the safety and sustainability of outer space activities, by implementing appropriate measures in accordance with the provisions set out in Article 8;

(i) to ensure the effective promotion of equal opportunities for all, the implementation of gender mainstreaming and of the gender dimension and to aim to address the causes of gender imbalance, paying particular attention to ensure gender balance in evaluation panels.