The European Union Tuesday announced an investigation into Chinese wind turbine suppliers suspected of receiving an unfair advantage in the European market through foreign subsidies. 

"Today, we are launching a new inquiry into Chinese suppliers of wind turbines," EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said in a speech at Princeton University in the US state of New Jersey. 

"We are investigating the conditions for the development of wind parks in Spain, Greece, France, Romania and Bulgaria. "

Brussels has in the past year taken stronger action to defend European industry against growing threats from both China and the United States. 

The wind probe follows similar investigations targeting Chinese subsidies for solar panels, electric cars and trains, as trade tensions heat up between Brussels and Beijing.

The 27-nation bloc wants to ramp up its renewable energy capacity as it aims for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, while also moving away from excessive reliance on cheaper Chinese wind and solar technology.

The latest probe was launched under new rules that came into force in July last year and seek to prevent foreign subsidies from undermining fair competition in the EU.

Vestager did not provide details of the wind turbine suppliers being targeted.

Brussels opened its first probe under the new Foreign Subsidies Regulation in February, targeting a subsidiary of Chinese rail giant CRRC. That investigation was closed after the subsidiary withdrew last month from a tender in Bulgaria to supply electric trains.

A second probe announced last week is targeting Chinese-owned solar panel manufacturers seeking to build and operate a photovoltaic park in Romania, partly financed by European funds.

Two separate consortiums are under investigation in that case, one of which includes the Enevo group in Romania and a German subsidiary of China's Longi Green Energy Technology -- the world's biggest solar panel manufacturer.

The second is made up of two subsidiaries that are both fully owned and controlled by Chinese state-owned Shanghai Electric group.

Under a different set of rules, Brussels in September last year started a probe into Chinese electric car subsidies that could lead to punitive tariffs on vehicles it believes are being unfairly sold at a lower price.

Beijing at the time warned that the move would harm trade relations and risk a trade war.