EU to announce Google action

The EU is expected to set out later the action it will take against Google over alleged anti-competitive behavior, BBC News reported.

Margrethe Vestager, the competition commissioner, could make a statement about her intentions on Wednesday.

Reports suggest she will announce that a "statement of objections" is being prepared.

Such action would mark an escalation in the Commission's handling of complaints that Google favours its own products in search engine results.

Google accounts for more than a 90% share of EU-based web searches.

The company has yet to respond.

The European Commission has investigated the antitrust allegations - made by Microsoft, Tripadvisor, Streetmap and others - since 2010.

They object to the fact that the firm places reviews from Google+, directions from Google Maps, music and videos from YouTube, and adverts from its Adwords platform ahead of others' links in relevant searches.

"At the core must be the fundamental principle that Google must not abuse its power in general online search to give preferential treatment to its own separate services," Icomp, a lobbying group representing the complainants, said earlier this year.