Google submits remedy proposals to EU antitrust chief - ICOMP

Updated Google has submitted a new round of proposals to the competition wing of the European Commission, which has fingered the search giant for possible "dominance abuse", according to ICOMP.

It would appear that its latest effort to offer a remedy to antitrust concerns laid out last year by Commissioner Joaquin Almunia came at the eleventh hour.

Lobby group ICOMP tweeted this morning: "MLex are reporting Google have responded to the EC with a proposal to remedy their search-advertising model."

Backers of ICOMP include Microsoft and UK-based price-comparison outfit Foundem - which filed its complaints to the EC and the US Federal Communications Commission in February 2010 when it argued that: consumer choice was being eroded, competition was suppressed and that innovation had - in its view - been stifled by Google's search business manoeuvres.

Google had until today to make a fresh submission to the EC, or else face possible sanctions.

Just yesterday, it was reported that Almunia had expressed skepticism about Google hitting that deadline. On Wednesday, the commissioner jabbed: "Today is the 30th and tomorrow is the 31st, so I can imagine the proposals are flying in..." ®

Update

A spokeswoman at the Commission told El Reg: "We have nothing to say for the time being but hope to have something later today." She reiterated that Google's deadline for submitting a proposal was set at midnight tonight. The Register has asked Google to comment on this story, but it hasn't yet responded.

This is a developing story. More to follow.