The European Commission has announced the re-imposition of a fine amounting to €376.36 million on Intel for engaging in anticompetitive practices that violated EU antitrust rules in the market for x86 central processing units (CPUs). This decision follows a lengthy legal battle regarding Intel's previous conduct, which included practices aimed at excluding competitors from the market.

In 2009, Intel was initially fined €1.06 billion for abusing its dominant position, specifically through two illegal practices: offering conditional rebates to computer manufacturers and paying them to delay the launch of products containing competitors' CPUs. However, in 2022, the General Court annulled the fine, particularly questioning the findings related to the conditional rebates while confirming that the naked restrictions constituted an abuse of dominance.

Following the General Court's ruling, the Commission has now imposed a new fine solely for the naked restrictions, which occurred between November 2002 and December 2006. These restrictions involved payments made to manufacturers such as HP, Acer, and Lenovo to prevent the launch of products featuring competitors' x86 CPUs and to limit their sales channels. The re-imposed fine reflects a narrower scope of infringement compared to the original 2009 decision.

This decision does not affect the Commission's ongoing appeal against the General Court's annulment of the 2009 findings regarding conditional rebates, which remains pending. The case highlights the ongoing scrutiny of dominant market players and the enforcement of competition laws within the EU.