Google European Union Probe to Be Decided in Weeks

Google Inc. will find out within weeks whether its recent offer to European Union antitrust regulators was enough to settle an almost three-year-old EU probe into the way it operates its search services.

“This investigation started in November 2010, it has been difficult,” Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told a conference in Florence, Italy, Friday. “It’s important but it cannot be prolonged forever, so we are now in the decisive weeks.”

Almunia said “time is running fast” and he will “in the coming weeks” decide whether to accept Google’s settlement offer or go forward with a formal complaint, known as a statement of objections, and ultimately adopt “a possible negative decision.” Read more...