Redmond is one of the companies trying to block Google’s antitrust deal

Sep 4, 2014 14:59 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft and a group of other publishers in Europe are trying to block Google from completing an anti-trust deal with the EU, emphasizing that the existing proposal would only lead to more competition rule violations in the coming years.

Google and the European Union reached an agreement in February this year after three years of investigations in the anti-trust case that accused the search company of hurting rivals by promoting its very own services on search results pages.

The current proposal calls for Google to make some modifications that would put rivals’ links next to theirs in order to give them similar exposure on results pages.

Microsoft, however, says that although this problem could indeed be addressed by making changes to search engine results, the company is more concerned about the way Google handles contract terms with advertisers, as many are blocked from switching sides and joining platforms owned by competitors, including the Redmond software giant.

"The proposals don't cure or eliminate all restrictions that we and rivals see. There are still restrictions preventing them from providing interoperability," Microsoft's Director of Competition Law, Jean-Yves Art, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia has to make a decision sometime in the next two months before he leaves the office, but according to sources, he has already given assurances to Google rivals that all their complaints will be taken into consideration.

Unsurprisingly, Google’s rivals are not at all pleased with the existing proposal and are afraid that the European Commission might not actually listen to their complaints when making a decision.

"The settlement has been concluded largely behind closed doors and we are disheartened to hear today that the EU will not seek feedback from parties formally interested in the investigation," said Monique Goyens, director general of the European Consumer Organisation, back in February when the decision was announced.

Google, on the other hand, remains pretty much tight-lipped, but previous statements of the company expressed their intention to cooperate with investigators to address all complaints.

"We will be making significant changes to the way Google operates in Europe," Kent Walker, senior vice president and general counsel of Google, said in a statement earlier this year. "We have been working with the European Commission to address issues they raised and look forward to resolving this matter."

Microsoft, in its turn, has its very own anti-trust issues in China, with the central government banning Windows 8 and raiding several local offices as part of a probe that might bring the company a fine for violating competition rules in the country.

Microsoft is accused of not disclosing all compatibility issues of Windows and Office, and the company has recently been given a 20-day deadline to provide a detailed explanation for its failure to comply with local rules.