IN A significant climbdown, Microsoft has confirmed that the next version of Windows will be released in Europe without its Internet Explorer web browser included, in order to appease the European Commission.

The commission is close to concluding an anti-trust investigation into whether Microsoft has been using its dominance of the operating system market to skew the market for web browsers. The case covers activities since 1996.

Following the publication of a story on the CNET technology news website, Microsoft’s deputy general counsel Dave Heiner issued a statement confirming that the version of Windows 7 made available in Europe would not have a web browser included.

“Given the pending legal proceeding, we’ve decided that, instead of including Internet Explorer in Windows 7 in Europe, we will offer it separately and on an easy-to-install basis to both computer manufacturers and users,” Mr Heiner said in a statement. “This means that computer manufacturers and users will be free to install Internet Explorer on Windows 7, or not, as they prefer.”

The commission responded by saying it had suggested to Microsoft a choice of browsers should be made available “not that Windows should be supplied without a browser at all”.

For the retail market, which accounts for less than 5 per cent of Windows sales, the commission said: “Rather than more choice, Microsoft seems to have chosen to provide less.”

With regard to sales to computer manufacturers, who pre-load Windows onto new PCs and account for the bulk of sales, it said the move “may potentially be more positive”.

In January, the commission delivered a preliminary finding that Microsoft’s inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows violated competition law.

Windows 7 will go on sale in Europe on October 22nd. The product name will have an “E” at the end to denote Explorer has been removed. The European versions will be available in 23 languages .