Yesterday, Microsoft Corp. confirmed that it’s been accused by the EU regulators for breaking antitrust laws. The matter refers to the company’s decision to include its Internet Explorer (IE) browser in its Windows OS offer.

"Yesterday, Microsoft received a Statement of Objections from the Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission," the company said in a statement released yesterday. It also noted that "The Statement of Objections expresses the Commission's preliminary view that the inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows since 1996 has violated European competition law."

The EU’s move was received with great enthusiasm by the Norwegian browser maker Opera Software ASA, which was the first to file a complaint against Microsoft. Opera’s CEO, Jon von Tetzchner, applauded the decision, and said that it is the first step towards restoring the market’s competition. He also added that the Commission wants to put Microsoft on the same level as every other company in the industry and make it start competing on the merits of the browser market, allowing customers to choose their preferred browser.

The complaint was filed in December 2007, and after a carefull analysis, the Competition Commission announced its official investigation, crediting Opera for bringing this issue to surface.

Microsoft released a statement saying that it is committed to conduct its business in full compliance with the European laws, which appears to be a standard text when it comes to antitrust charges. The company has to address the accusations within the next two months, as demanded by the law.