CAF: A $3 billion contract in Belgium is on track to get the highest demand in its history
The Belgian national railway company believes that it cannot make decisions taking into account factors such as the impact of competitors on local employment, and has therefore maintained its decision after review.
On Wednesday, the Belgian Council of State rejected the urgent appeal filed by the French company Alstom against the decision of the Belgian railway company SNCB to declare the Basque company CAF as a 'preferred bidder'. The tender is to replace 600 wagons and the contract is between EUR 1.695 billion and EUR 3.4 billion .
The decision follows in the footsteps of last week's Council of State ruling, which also rejected a request to suspend the execution of the contract submitted by the German group Siemens.
Last February, the SNCB Board of Directors appointed the Beasain company as the preferred bidder for this application for the supply of 600 new wagons. As a result of the appointment, the French railway builder Alstom, who has two factories in Belgium and was second in the bidding process, challenged the decision and the German group Siemens also protested.
The decision of the board of directors of the public railway company SNCB, which preceded Alstomand the German Siemens in favour of the Basque company, was temporarily suspended by the Belgian Councilof State on the grounds that the award process had not been very transparent.
But last June, the SNCB again confirmed to CAF that its preferred offer was theirs, following a new evaluation by the Board of Directors (as established by the Council of State). However, Alstom maintained his discontent on the grounds that this decision will endanger hundreds of jobs in Belgium.
The Belgian national railway company believes that, under European rules, it cannot take account of the impact of competitors on local employment, and has therefore maintained its decision after review.
The Beasain company has been under heavy pressure in recent months for its connection with Israel and for its contracts for the construction of railways connecting illegal colonies in the occupied Palestinian territory.
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