EU rejects Microsoft plan for sanctions monitor

BRUSSELS: Microsoft Corp. has been told its proposal to select a non-partisan trustee to help monitor EU-imposed sanctions against it is unacceptable, the European Commission said.

The European Union executive imposed remedies on the U.S. software giant one year ago, along with a record 497 million euro ($654.9 million) fine and the company was supposed to nominate a "monitoring trustee" as part of this decision.

"We have officially informed Microsoft that their proposal on the monitoring trustee is not acceptable," spokesman Jonathan Todd said. "Essentially they wished to have a veto on what issues the monitoring trustee could examine."

A Commission official said Microsoft has 10 business days to respond, which gives it until April 11.

After that, the Commission is ready to impose its own terms in a formal decision, which could come as soon as the end of April, the official said.