Brussels, 25/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - A meeting between Microsoft and the European Commission, scheduled to be held from 3 to 5 June, has been cancelled. Although the American company states that it simply wished to postpone the date of the meeting, due to the fact that a conference was being held in Zurich on European antitrust laws at the same time, the Commission takes the view that this request is unfounded and that Microsoft has ultimately decided to withdraw its request for a hearing. This type of hearing behind closed doors, which was requested by Microsoft, was to allow the American company orally to present its arguments against accusations made by the Commission that it has infringed competition rules. In a statement of objections in mid-January, the Commission alleged that Microsoft was abusing its dominant position by systematically bundling Internet Explorer in its Windows operating system (EUROPE 9580). "I can confirm that Microsoft withdrew their request for a hearing" last week, a spokesperson to the competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes, explained on Monday 25 May. The Commission will continue its investigation of the matter on the basis of written responses already sent by the Redmond-based company, he added, without specifying a date for a decision. (A.B./transl.fl)