Apple faces 'EU competition charge sheet' after Spotify complaint   

Apple answered Spotify's accusation of unfair trading by saying the App Store helped Spotify benefit from hundreds of millions of app downloads to become Europe's largest music streaming service. File photo

Apple could face an EU competition charge sheet in the coming weeks after a complaint by rival Spotify that it unfairly pushed its own music streaming service. 

The European Commission could send the statement of objections setting out suspected violations of the EU competition rules to Apple before the summer. 

The case is one of four opened by the EU competition enforcer against Apple in June last year. The EU charge sheet usually indicates whether a fine is merited and what companies have to do to halt anti-competitive practices. The commission declined to comment.

Spotify in the App Store

Apple referred to its March 2019 blog which said its App Store helped Spotify to benefit from hundreds of millions of app downloads to become Europe's largest music streaming service.

Spotify, in its 2019 complaint to the commission, said Apple unfairly restricts rivals to its own music streaming service Apple Music and also protested against the 30% fee levied on app developers to use Apple's in-app purchase system.

In addition to the Spotify case, the European Commission is also investigating Apple's App Stores rules for all competing apps, for e-books and audio-books as well as its terms and conditions for its mobile payment service Apple Pay. 

• Reuters