lowest bidder or when the studies are below the
        
        
          limits set by EU directives). The study contracts
        
        
          shall be awarded either to the lowest bidder (in
        
        
          the case of contracts of less than €300,000,
        
        
          which comprise one or two main studies) or to the
        
        
          most advantageous bid (in the case of all other
        
        
          contracts). The service contracts shall be award-
        
        
          ed to the lowest bidder; however, the most advan-
        
        
          tageous bid may also be taken into consideration.
        
        
          The weights attached to the sub-criteria compris-
        
        
          ing the final grade have been calculated in a man-
        
        
          ner that does not, according to the Ministry, ben-
        
        
          efit bidders that offer large discounts, albeit pro-
        
        
          vide flawed technical solutions.
        
        
          
            Small-scale contracts
          
        
        
          The draft law also aims at ensuring that small-
        
        
          scale contracts are awarded on the basis of
        
        
          objective criteria, since study contracts with pre-
        
        
          estimated fees of up to €30,000, and service con-
        
        
          tracts with pre-estimated fees of €15,000 shall
        
        
          continue to be directly awarded; nonetheless, the
        
        
          relevant procedure is amended.
        
        
          
            Production of projects
          
        
        
          The Studies and Projects Supervisory Authority is
        
        
          responsible for checking the phase that precedes
        
        
          the awarding of public works contracts, studies,
        
        
          or other similar (technical) services of community
        
        
          interest. The contracts will be subject to supervi-
        
        
          sion if their budget is equal to, or above, the
        
        
          threshold set by the relevant EU directives.
        
        
          
            New projects and extensions
          
        
        
          The extensions of the Athens’ Metro and the
        
        
          
            Trade with Greece
          
        
        
          
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