DHAKA: Google and EU regulators are close to settling a three-year antitrust investigation into the company’s suspected anti-competitive behavior after it offered improved concessions to allay competition concerns.

Two sources said, reports The Straits Times.

A settlement under the European Commission’s antitrust rules means Google will escape a possible fine of as much as US$5 billion.

The world’s biggest Internet search engine and the European Commission is close to a deal and a decision is expected in the next few days or in a couple of weeks at the latest, a senior European Union official said.

A second person familiar with the matter confirmed the likely settlement.

The official said Google`s latest proposal, its third after EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia rejected an earlier offer as unacceptable, was ‘much better’.

BDST: 1905 HRS, JAN 29, 2014