BRUSSELS :  Microsoft said on September 12 that it hopes the European Commission will not require the removal of important security features in Europe for its new Windows Vista operating system.

"One of our principal concerns is that European consumers have access to the same new security features in Windows Vista as everyone else.

Security is a top concern for European consumers and we hope the Commission will not require removal of these important features in Europe," Erich Andersen, vice president and associate general counsel for Europe, said.