The report by the ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has yet to be submitted, but the Wall Street Journal wrote on 8 August that a draft it had seen criticised the EU’s officials for not keeping minutes of a meeting with an executive of the computer-maker Dell that provided “potentially exculpatory” evidence in the case.

The Dell executive told EU officials in August 2006 that the company had opted for Intel semi-conductors in its computers because those of its principal rival, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), were “very poor”.

Seems to undermine the case against Intel and supports their counter-suit. 

Intel is currently seeking to overturn the fine at the European Court of First Instance. In July, it also filed a case against the Commission, alleging that it had violated its rights. Details of that suit have not been disclosed.

This case will likely go on for a long, long time.