Brussels, April 21, 2026 (Lusa) - The European Rail Supply Industry Association (UNIFE) welcomed on Tuesday the European Commission’s decision to allow the ‘Metropolitano de Lisboa’ (Lisbon Metro)’s Violet Line tender to proceed following changes to a consortium.

“UNIFE welcomes today’s decision under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), and the European Commission’s firm yet balanced approach, which protects the integrity of the single market whilst maintaining openness to global competition on fair terms,” said the association’s Director-General, Enno Wiebe, in a statement.

He highlighted that this marked the first time the Commission had adopted a final decision subject to conditions following an in-depth public procurement investigation under the FSR, characterising it as a crucial moment for the credibility of the regulation and for safeguarding fair competition within the railway sector.

UNIFE represents companies that produce everything related to the rail sector, including trains, metros and trams, signalling systems, and rail infrastructure equipment.

The European Commission authorised the Lisbon Metro on Tuesday to move forward with the design and construction contract for the Violet Line, following the withdrawal of a Chinese company from the consortium led by Mota-Engil.

In a statement released on Tuesday in Brussels, the European Commission said that it “has authorised the Lisbon Metro to proceed with the award of the contract for the design and construction of Lisbon’s Violet metro line, subject to conditions under the FSR, following an amendment by the consortium that prevents any distortion”.

The approval came after the Chinese state-owned rolling stock manufacturer CRRC withdrew from the Mota-Engil consortium, a place now taken by the Polish company PESA, following the European Commission’s confirmation, in an in-depth investigation, that the Chinese company had received “unfair subsidies in the order of billions”, European sources told Lusa.

ANE/MYAL // ADB.

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