Google: competitors more visible in deal with EU

Google has the European Commission a new settlement proposal which the search giant further concessions to mededingingsonderzoek to avoid. The European Commission is satisfied, but will pass no final judgment.

In the new settlement proposal shows Google is willing to give competitors more space to give up in his search engine. When Google results for its own specialized search services shows, for example, for online purchases, hotels and restaurants, are also the services of three competitors advertised. That can be presented in a way that is ‘clearly visible’ to users and that is similar to the way Google’s own services bills. Last week, Reuters stated already that Google was prepared to further concessions.

If the settlement is taken, shall be that for the next five years and in the whole European Union, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, but with the exception of Croatia. The settlement now seems to be close; the European Commission says are pleased with the proposals from Google, but first wants to have with the competitors of Google to consult before a final judgment is followed. Previous warning letters from Google were after objections from competitors rejected, although Google indicated competitors the space to want to give.

Kent Walker, a lawyer from Google, shall, in a written statement that the settlement proposal for Google ‘significant changes’ to result in the manner in which the search giant in Europe operates. He says that the company hopes that the European Commission and Google together come true.

Other adjustments to the search engine are already by Google have been proposed and for example, make it possible for competitors to take themselves out of the specialized search engines from Google to remove, without in any other way be punished. They may choose to, for example, the Shopping search engine to be met, without that they are from the regular search index to be achieved. In addition, Google will provide advertisers will no longer hinder for competitors to advertise.

The European Commission is concerned about the large dominance of Google, that in Europe an even larger market share than in its home country of the United States. If Google is not a settlement with the Commission, the search giant risk on a year-long competition inquiry, such as Microsoft in the nineties happened.