Stéphanie Yon-Courtin
A senior MEP has asked the European Commission (EC) whether it plans to take an expeditious decision in an ongoing investigation into Microsoft over alleged tying the Teams application to Office products, an emailed statement shows today (11 July).
In a complaint filed in July 2020, Slack alleged that Microsoft tied its Teams product to its ‘dominant’ Office suite through terms including forced installation and blocking its removal, as reported.
Since the complaint, Microsoft’s dominant position in the market has grown, while the complainant is still waiting for meaningful progress in this case, MEP Stéphanie Yon-Courtin said.
Given that Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager is planning to run for the leadership position of the European Investment Bank, it might potentially cause additional delays in the process, Yon-Courtin added.
The MEP asked whether the EC could confirm that it plans to take an expeditious decision on this case and in any case before EVP leaves for her potential new role.
Furthermore, can the EC confirm that it is well aware of the need to put in place effective remedies different than the one used in the past in other digital antitrust cases, the MEP quizzed.
Lastly, how is the EC ensuring that the pending digital antitrust investigations are dealt with in an expeditious manner that keeps pace with the rapid developments in digital markets, according to the item.
"At a time where Microsoft has infringed competition law multiple times and will be qualified as a gatekeeper under the DMA, we are still left with an antitrust complaint with no meaningful action taken for 3 years. Given the determination of EVP Vestager during these past 2 terms, she cannot leave a case with no concrete outcome nor effective remedies before she leaves. Time is of essence and we still need bold decision on antitrust cases in parallel of the DMA. It's time to have the courage to use remedies not used before and that will really make a difference," MEP Yon-Courtin said.
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