The Polish consumer watchdog has forwarded to the European Commission a report stating that Microsoft might be decreasing competition in the market, after alluding that the software giant may be collaborating with laptop makers.

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) launched the investigation in December 1997 looking into whether sales of laptops with Microsoft software won't monopolize the market.

The agency said, in a statement on its website, that typically laptop producers sell computers with Microsoft software pre-installed, to which clients cannot resign. "Meanwhile, it's the client who should be given the choice which system operator to use," the statement read.

Due to this, the head of the agency has forwarded the collected materials to the European Commission. "The character of the investigation -- especially the territory of the activities -- indicates that the effects of this agreement may cover the entire European Union," according to the statement.

Microsoft has already been fined EUR 1.68 billion by the EU's executive body for abusing its 95 percent dominance of the PC market.