BRATISLAVA, March 21, (WEBNOVINY) – Skanska SK has filed a complaint with the European Commission (EC) over the decision of the Public Procurement Office (UVO), which has canceled a tender for modernizing a 12-kilometer stretch of railway between Zlatovce and Trencianska Tepla. “We consider this decision unjustified and purpose-made. Our legal analyses confirmed that the reasons mentioned in the decision could not have a significant influence on the result of the tender. Regarding the fact that the entire construction is co-financed from the EU Cohesion Fund via the Operational Program Transport, it is up to the EC to examine the merits of our complaint,” Skanska SK Director General Tibor Kocvara said.
Both Skanska and the railway infrastructure operator Zeleznice Slovenskej Republiky (ZSR) have decided on Friday to sue UVO for ordering ZSR to cancel the 15-months lasting tender. According to UVO, the tender violated the principles of transparency and non-discrimination. The court should now examine, whether the UVO decision was lawful. UVO defused to comment the legal actions, claiming it is not familiar with their content. However, the authority claims they behaved in compliance with valid laws.
ZSR announced the tender for modernizing the Zlatovce – Trencianska Tepla railway stretch in 2009. Skanska offered to modernize the railway stretch for approximately 201 million euro excluding VAT, the second lowest bid came from the Trnava-based TSS Grade (EUR 245 million). Costs were estimated at 296 million euro excluding VAT. The works are to be co-financed from the EU Operational Program Transport.
SITA
