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Europe Fines Intel a Record $1.45 Billion in Antitrust Case

The European Union’s competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes, during a news conference in Brussels Wednesday.

BRUSSELS — The European Commission fined Intel a record 1.06 billion euros on Wednesday for abusing its dominance in the computer chip market to exclude its only serious rival, Advanced Micro Devices.

The European Union’s competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes, said the penalty against Intel, the equivalent of $1.45 billion, was justified because the company had skewed competition and denied consumers a choice for chips.

Ms. Kroes said Intel had “used illegal anticompetitive practices to exclude its only competitor and reduce consumers’ choice — and the whole story is about consumers.” She said Intel’s practices had “undermined innovation.”