On March 10, Brussels announced surprise inspections in the soft drinks sector, suspecting certain companies of hindering intra-European trade or sharing markets - practices prohibited by EU competition rules.

According to this source, the operations did target Coca-Cola bottlers, although it is not known exactly which ones. The group has several bottlers around the world, including Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Coca-Cola Hellenic.

The case is reminiscent of a previous investigation, abandoned in 2023 due to the lack of evidence. However, this time, if suspicions are confirmed, the penalties could be substantial: up to 10% of worldwide sales.