Brussels, 13 November 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The European Commission has opened an anti-trust investigation into Austrian energy drink maker Red Bull over suspicions it may have unlawfully restricted competition.

The EU's executive arm said on Thursday it would examine whether Red Bull developed a strategy to disadvantage rival products in supermarkets and petrol stations across the European Union.

The probe focuses on whether Red Bull offered retailers financial or other incentives to remove larger competing products — those over 250 millilitres — from shelves or make them less visible.

The company is also suspected of using its role as a "category manager" in some stores to influence how rival energy drinks were displayed.

A supplier that is a "category manager" can oversee an entire product segment for a retailer, potentially shaping how competitors' goods are presented.

According to the commission, the suspect practices may have been implemented at least in the Netherlands.

The commission said this is the first time it has investigated a potential abuse of dominance linked to category management.

"Today we are opening an investigation into Red Bull’s alleged plan to protect its well-known energy drink from rival products, in breach of competition rules," European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera said in a statement.

"We want to see if these practices may be keeping prices high and limiting choice of energy drinks for consumers."

The opening of the probe does not imply any finding of wrongdoing. If confirmed, Red Bull could face penalties for breaching EU competition rules on abuse of market dominance.

Photo: Red Bull Facebook