FRANCE: Certification of origin might be more closely associated with wine and cheese, but Bombardier Transportation has now obtained the Pro France association’s ‘Guaranteed French Origin’ certification for the Francilien and Omneo/Regio 2N multiple-units designed and produced at its Crespin site in Hauts-de-France.
‘This is the first time a Guaranteed French Origin label has been granted to the rail industry’, claims Laurent Bouyer, President of Bombardier Transportation France. ‘The Guaranteed French Origin certification is the only certification which vouches for the French origin of a product based on an independent audit that ensures adherence to stringent standards.’
Pro France was launched in 2010 with the aims of offering more demanding criteria for national origin than ‘Made in France’. It requires between 50% and 100% of the cost price of the product to be acquired in France, and the product must take its ‘essential characteristics’ from France, with all processing steps are carried out there.
Certifying body Bureau Veritas undertook an audit to confirm that production of the trains complies with these requirements.
Bombardier said the Crespin plant has around 2 000 employees, including around 500 engineers and managers and around 75% of its suppliers are based in France.
Paris regional transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités has ordered 360 Francilien commuter EMUs since 2006, while various French regions have ordered 91 Omneo Premium inter-city and 310 Regio 2N regional trains since 2010.