See also: EC's Kroes and Intel's Sewell square up
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The EU has hit Intel with a €1bn fine for anti-competitive practices and is on the receiving end of harsh words from EC Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes.
"Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for computer chips for many years," said Kroes.
"Such a serious and sustained violation of the EU's antitrust rules cannot be tolerated
The decision, once the appeal process has been completed, opens up the prospect of European retailers and PC dealers combining in a class action law-suit against Intel to pursue damages for financial loss caused by Intel's alleged anti-competitive trading practices.
The EC stated that Intel had given rebates to computer manufacturers if they only used Intel chips.
The EC also found that a retailer had received money in return for only selling computers with Intel processors.
The EC's 500 page report on Intel's alleged anti-competitive business practices has, it is reported, been sent to the competition authorities of 27 countries.
An anti-trust law-suit brought by AMD in the US is to be heard in Delaware next March. US class-action law-suits are also being prepared.
US anti-trust investigations against Intel are being pursued by the Federal Trade Commission and the New York state attorney general's office.