EU ends SAP antitrust probe after agrees to support changes

The European Commission has closed an antitrust investigation into SAP after the German software giant agreed to legally binding changes that will make it significantly easier for customers to switch to rival support providers or end their maintenance contracts. The settlement, announced on July -10, 2026, spares SAP a potential fine that could have reached into the billions of euros.

The investigation, which began in September 2025, centered on concerns that SAP’s practices were restricting competition in the aftermarket for maintenance and support of its on-premises enterprise software. Regulators identified several problematic practices, including preventing customers from terminating support for unused software licenses, charging high reinstatement and back-maintenance fees to customers who left and later returned, and imposing contract terms that locked customers into a single support provider.

To resolve the case, SAP has committed to a package of global reforms that will remain in force for ten years. A key change is the introduction of an alternative method for calculating license fees, which forms the basis for maintenance and support charges. This technical adjustment...