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The Associated Press Thursday, December 19, 2002; 12:46 PM
BRUSSELS, Belgium –– The European Union expects to wrap up its 3-year-old investigation into Microsoft early next year, the EU antitrust chief said in comments published Thursday.
A preliminary ruling in the EU case had been expected by the end of this year, but EU officials were holding off while Microsoft's settlement with U.S. authorities was pending. A judge in Washington approved that settlement last month with only minor changes.
In comments made Tuesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said it was now "realistic to expect a final conclusion in the first part of next year."
He also stressed again that the EU and U.S. cases were "factually and legally" distinct, and that he "cannot exclude seeking different remedies in certain areas" than U.S. authorities did.
EU investigators accuse Microsoft of abusing its dominance of the market for PC operating systems – its ubiquitous Windows software – to muscle its way into related markets for media and server software.
In contrast, the U.S. case focused on Internet browsers and the company's relationships with hardware makers.
Microsoft has said the EU's antitrust concerns are answered by the terms of its deal in the United States, plus further concessions it has offered independently.
Under EU law, the commission could fine Microsoft up to 10 percent of its worldwide sales if it finds it guilty of antitrust violations.
