In all the dealings the EU has had with Microsoft over antitrust issues in the past, the result was usually the same. The EU would demand the software giant to remove a particular component from Windows, Microsoft would claim it is impossible and the legal battle then begins. Could the EU be trying a different approach in the near future? It seems that in the newest set of demands the EU is making, they will require Windows to be shipped with third-party browsers installed.
What browsers would that include and how would Microsoft work with those behind them to make this possible? These are some possible concerns, but there are other less obvious issues, such as technical hurdles that warrant investigation. Apparently, part of the EU's demands may require that certain components of IE be disabled if someone should choose a third party browser. It's likely that they mean some of the IE integration, such as it being the preferred application for certain types of content regardless of what browsers are installed.
It is Microsoft, not the EU, who is releasing this information, which makes you wonder what their angle is. Is the company trying to get public support for "IE preservation" in Windows?