Brussels, 09/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - Internet giant Google has made new offers to the European Commission to put an end to the competition proceedings launched against the company, if they are deemed acceptable, announced a Commission spokesman on Monday 9 September.
The Commission spokesman said that the Commission had received new proposals from Google as part of the investigations into blocking competition and is in the process of examining them. If the Commission finds the proposals satisfactory, then an out-of-court settlement might be reached in the next few months, he explained.
A Google spokesman, Al Verney, said that the proposed remedies cover four areas of the Commission's concerns, but refused to give any details, though stating that the company was still working with the Commission to close the investigation.
The Commission suspects that Google has distorted competition on the market for online searches by listing its own services ahead of others, for example in searches for restaurants or maps.
The European Commission market-tested Google's initial commitments from the end of April to the end of June. One of them is the offer to label links to its own specialist search engines when they are listed first or given preferential treatment so that web users are made aware of this fact, but most of Google's competitors are not happy with the proposed solutions. Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia wrote in July to the head of Google, Eric Schmidt, asking for improvements. Google's main competitors have set up coalition called FairSearch, which reacted in a press release on Monday, calling for Google's competitors and users to be consulted about the form of comprehensive new market tests. The Commission has not said whether it will be market-testing the new commitments. The investigation into Google began in November 2010 after a number of complaints, one of which from Microsoft-owned internet company Ciao. Microsoft joined the complaints against Google in 2011. (LC/transl.fl)