Apple has denied breaking EU competition law by charging different prices on its iTunes websites for music downloads in different countries.
In a statement, the company said it had always wanted to operate a single, pan-European iTunes store accessible by anyone from any member state.
'But we were advised by the music labels and publishers that there were certain legal limits to the rights they could grant us,' it added.
A spokesman for the European Commission expressed concern that Apple might be infringing the law by imposing 'territorial restrictions' on music downloads.
European consumers are able to download music from the iTunes site only in their country of residence and prices differ from country to country within the 27 member states.
On Friday, the Commission sent a 'statement of objections' to Apple and unnamed 'major record companies', the first formal step Brussels takes in competition cases. 'We will continue to work with the EU to resolve this matter,' Apple said in its statement.
