Brussels, 23/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, Commissioner Mario Monti is to propose to his colleagues a record fine of 497 million EUR to the Microsoft group. If the college votes the decision through, this will be the largest fine, in financial terms, ever imposed on a company by the European Commission. The sad record for the largest fine imposed on a single group was previously held by the Hoffman-La Roche group (462 million EUR in 2001), for having taken part in a vitamin cartel.
Microsoft has already reacted, declaring the fine "unjustified and unjust". One of its spokespeople in New York, Lou Gellos, told AFP: "It's certainly unjustified, because we think it comes down to an inability to agree on a single problem after having agreed on all the others" (it is worth noting that talks between the Commission and Microsoft finally failed on the issue of marketing the group's future products: see EUROPE of 19 March, p.7). Mr Gellos also indicated that Microsoft will "certainly appeal" to the Court of Justice, if the decision is confirmed at the meeting of the Commissioners on Wednesday.