section_path: Economy/Trade/Competition and consumer protection
section_name: Competition and consumer protection
paragraph_text: Competition and consumer protection
  
  The EU operates a competition policy intended to ensure undistorted competition within the single market. In 2001 the commission for the first time prevented a merger between two companies based in the United States (General Electric and Honeywell) which had already been approved by their national authority. Another high-profile case, against Microsoft, resulted in the commission fining Microsoft over €777 million following nine years of legal action.