BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain's music fans will pay 10 percent less for downloads from Apple's iTunes stores within six months, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

The European Union's top antitrust watchdog said the move would bring to a close its proceedings against Apple which operates the online iTunes stores used by owners of iPods, the popular MP3 player made by Apple.

"The Commission is very much in favor of solutions which allow consumers to benefit from a truly single market for music downloads," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement.

Apple's iTunes customers can only buy music in the EU from the part of the store directed to their country of residence and which contains music cleared for sale in that country.

Residence is checked through credit card details. For example, a consumer in the UK must use a credit card from a bank with an address in Britain.

"Prices for iTunes downloads in the UK are currently nearly 10 percent more expensive than downloads in the euro zone," the Commission said.

"Following iTunes' announcement, UK consumers will soon pay the same for music downloads from iTunes as customers from euro-zone countries."

Antitrust proceedings have also clarified it is not agreements between Apple and the major record companies which determine how the iTunes store is organized in Europe, the Commission said.

"Consequently, the Commission does not intend to take further action in this case," it said.

(Reporting by Huw Jones, editing by Jeremy Smith and Sue Thomas)
© Copyright 2007 Reuters.

Photo:
Apple CEO Steve Jobs speaks in London during the launch of the European iTunes online music store, June 15, 2004. Britain's music fans will pay 10 percent less for downloads from Apple's iTunes stores within six months, the European Commission said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Matt Dunham