Google Must Appease EU Antitrust Concerns By Early July

The European Union (EU) has given Google until the beginning of July to provide a proposal that would resolve the ongoing antitrust investigation into the search giant’s practices.

The EU’s head of competition policy Joaquin Almunia made the announcement, more or less confirming reports that he had given Google a 2 July deadline in a private letter last week.

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“I want to give the company the opportunity to offer remedy proposals that would avoid lengthy proceedings,” said Almunia, according to Reuters. “By early July, I expect to receive from Google concrete signs of their willingness to explore this route.”

The European Commission (EC) announcement is the latest move to avoid a lengthy legal battle, with both sides seemingly keen on reaching a compromise. Almunia has previously written to Google Chairman Eric Schmidt personally, to address a number of areas where the EU considers the company might be abusing its position. Almunia has continually reiterated his hope that competition could be restored through this route.

Google currently accounts for 90 percent of all searches in Europe and although it is not illegal to have a monopoly, it is forbidden to abuse it. The EC argues that Google displays links to its own vertical search services differently to its competitors and copies content from rivals such as restaurant reviews.

Almunia said that if Google’s proposals were unsatisfactory, then the EC would initiate formal proceedings through a “statement of objections” or charge sheet.

Google denies any wrongdoing.

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