Logic Int. said it had imported Red Bull from Austria – an EU member – for a number of years.

The company said that on 4 August, the defendants issued a search warrant and confiscated quantities of the drink. They said the explanation that they were given was that the drinks were not in re-fillable containers and so were in breach of legal notice 158 of 1998 which provides that soft drinks must be in re-usable containers.

The complainants said the action taken against it was in breach of its right to free trade with an EU member state.

The company also said that Red Bull was not even a soft drink. They also said that the defendants, citing reasons of environmental protection, should not have acted in such a heavy-handed manner by seizing its whole stock – effectively stopping the company from doing business.

The complainants said they would be taking the issue up with the European Commission with the intention of having legal notice 158 declared to be incompatible with EU legislation.

The complainants appealed for the defendants to stop such abusive and illegal action and said

they held them responsible for any financial

damage incurred. Dr Peter Fenech signed the protest.