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Red Bull’s Bid to Suspend EU Antitrust Decision Fails in Luxembourg Court

By  |  October 2, 2023

The General Court in Luxembourg has rejected Red Bull’s bid to suspend an EU antitrust decision that had led to a raid on the Austrian energy drinks giant over allegations of anti-competitive practices, as reported by Reuters.

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    The European Commission had conducted a raid on Red Bull in March, citing concerns that the company might have violated EU antitrust regulations related to cartels and the abuse of a dominant market position.

    In response, Red Bull had taken legal action by challenging the raid at the Luxembourg-based General Court. The company argued that the allegations were without merit and questioned the European Union’s competition watchdog’s basis for initiating the raid, suggesting there were insufficient signs of anti-competitive behavior.

    Related: EU Watchdog Raids Energy Drinks Company, Red Bull

    However, the General Court rejected Red Bull’s application for an interim measure last Friday, as confirmed in a filing on the court’s website.

    Typically, interim measures are only granted by the court when companies can demonstrate that they have suffered damages and will endure severe and irreversible harm due to the actions of regulatory authorities. In this case, Red Bull was unable to meet the threshold required for such temporary relief.

    The decision by the General Court means that the EU’s antitrust investigation into Red Bull will continue unabated, with Red Bull still facing allegations of anti-competitive practices in the European market.

    Source: Reuters