The European Commission (EC) is to invite comments from consumers, software companies, computer manufacturers and other interested parties on an improved proposal by Microsoft to give users greater choice of web browsers when running Windows systems.

Microsoft has revised its proposal to ship Windows 7 without a browser – called Windows 7 E.

The new proposal would use a Windows update mechanism for five years in the EU, to put up a "choice screen" allowing users to say whether they want to install an alternative browser to, or instead of, Internet Explorer.

Comments can be forwarded to the EC for one month starting on Friday by email, fax or post.