European MP calls for Microsoft ban

Heidi Ruhle, a German green member of the European Parliament (MEP), has called for the organisation to stop buying Microsoft software licences until the company opens up to competition.

The MEP questioned in the parliament why the EU was still buying from Microsoft when the company has yet to comply with an order to provide information to its competitors about interactivity.

"Considering that Microsoft continued to abuse its powerful market position after the Commission's March 2004 decision requiring it to change its practices, and given the fact that it is already the third time in four years that the Commission had to impose fines or penalty payment for non-compliance with a Commission decision, and bearing in mind that the 17 September 2007 CFI judgement has the force of res judicata, does the Commission consider that Article 93 (b) and (c) of Financial Regulation, read in conjunction with article 45(2) of Directive 2004/18/EC could be applied to Microsoft in this particular case and with regard to any ongoing or future public procurement procedure?" she asked.

"If it is the case, could we therefore consider that Microsoft does not fulfill the conditions to participate in such public procurement procedure?"

Microsoft has pledged to open up its code to rival developers, but the EU has expressed scepticism about its intentions and has since hit the company with an €899m fine for non-compliance.