Intel wins: billions fine Neelie Kroes off the table | financial
This has been announced by the General Court, part of the European Court of Justice. The mega fine was confirmed in 2019 by the then European Commissioner Neelie Kroes (Competition). At the time, it was the highest fine ever imposed by the European Commission.
Discounts
The fine was created because Intel allegedly used its power in the years 2002 to 2007 to pressure computer makers Dell, Lenovo, NEC and HP. She promised to use chips from competitor AMD. The well-known retail chain Mediamarkt also received for particles only computers with Intel chips were sold.
VVD member Kroes stated at the time that the company would have harmed many millions of European consumers and was very sure of her case. In the first instance, that turned out to be a good estimate, but Intel was blunt in 2014 at the General Court. But in a subsequent legal phase the Court better return the case to the General Court with the assumption that Intel’s competitor should be taken.
‘complete’
On Wednesday, the judge ruled that the analysis of Brussels is ‘incomplete’ and unsuitable to demonstrate anti-competitive effects. The fine was therefore drawn up after a legal wrangle.
The current European Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, does not want to comment yet: “We must first see the confrontation in detail before we learn what we can learn.”