According to Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke, NMBS follows the European rules for public tenders. He points out that the allocation is only final after completing the procedure and that other parties can appeal. Competitor Alstom is in any case planning.
The minister emphasizes that the NMBS board of directors unanimously decided to go into the sea with CAF and that political representatives also sit in it. He does argue that Europe thinks about the procurement rules, so that local economy and employment are also taken into consideration.