BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgium’s antitrust watchdog has launched an investigation into AB InBev over its commercial practices in the Belgian market, after complaints from industry players about conditions for supplying beer to wholesalers and hospitality operators.
“The Prosecutor General has concluded that there were serious indications of a possible infringement of competition rules relating to abuses of dominant position … and anticompetitive agreements … , and therefore decided to open a formal investigation”, the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) said in a statement on Thursday.
In reaction, AB InBev said it operates in compliance with local legislation in the countries in which it operates and that it offers the most flexible beer contracts to bar owners.
“We will take this opportunity to again present and substantiate our position to the BCA and will continue to cooperate constructively throughout the evaluation”, it added.
(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Mark Potter)
