EU competition chief to Google: 'We need more' out of you

Google's troubles in the European Union are far from over.

The search giant's attempts to quell anti-competitive unrest in the marketplace don't go far enough, EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told reporters at a new conference on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Google needs to offer more concessions, and soon, if the company wants to avoid charges over anti-competitive practices, he said.

"We need more and we need more not during the next year, we need more during the next weeks," Almunia said at the news conference, according to Reuters.

Almunia indicated at the news conference that he had not yet received a response from Google regarding his claim that its current concessions don't go far enough. CNET has contacted Google and we update this report when we have more information.

Google has been snarled in a three-year EU investigation over its search results. Almunia's office is concerned that the way the company displays search results could harm competition and give Google's own offerings better placement than those from other companies.

Google last year issued a proposal to Almunia's office, saying that it would feature competing products in its search results more prominently. The search giant also said it would make it easier for advertisers to switch platforms.

Last month, however, Almunia said in a Spanish radio interview that Google's concessions "are not acceptable in the sense that they are not proposals that can eliminate our concerns regarding competition." This time around, like last, Almunia failed to say what he'd like to see from Google.

For its part, Google has said time and again that it stands by its offer, despite the possibility of getting hit with as much as a $5 billion fine. In a statement to CNET last month, Google said that "we've made significant changes to address the EC's concerns, greatly increasing the visibility of rival services and addressing other specific issues."