From €1.06 billion to €237 million! Intel receives another fine reduction from the EU court, marking a key turning point in the ten-year antitrust case
The General Court of the European Union has once again reduced the antitrust fine on Intel, lowering the penalty from €1.06 billion to €237 million, less than a quarter of the original amount. The court upheld the finding of abuse of market dominance but deemed the previous fine excessive. This move marks a key advancement for Intel in the long-term regulatory game and provides important reference for tech giants' compliance strategies in Europe
Intel has made significant progress in the EU antitrust dispute that has lasted for over a decade.
The Luxembourg General Court ruled on Wednesday local time that the European Commission's previous fine of €376 million against Intel will be further reduced to approximately €237 million, a decrease of nearly €140 million from the original amount. This means that the historic fine, which began in 2009, has significantly dropped from the initial €1.06 billion to less than a quarter.
The court stated in its ruling that the new fine amount "better reflects the severity and duration of the illegal conduct in this case." Although the judge upheld the European Commission's finding of Intel's abuse of market dominance, it clearly stated that the previous fine amount was excessive.
This case has been regarded as one of the EU's most iconic tech antitrust actions. In 2023, the European Commission issued a new fine of €376 million against Intel based on the court's earlier overturning of the €1.06 billion fine, accusing it of using exclusionary practices to eliminate competitors in the x86 central processing unit market.
The European Commission stated that it would "carefully study the ruling and consider the next steps." This means it remains to be seen whether the EU will appeal or initiate a new investigation.
This reduction in the fine marks an important milestone victory for Intel in its prolonged regulatory battle with the EU and provides a new reference model for global tech giants' compliance strategies under the European antitrust enforcement environment
