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.
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