In May, we submitted our official response to the European Commission’s Statement of Objections
regarding Microsoft’s integration of Internet Explorer into the Windows
operating system.  Our submission focused on the collateral damage that would be inflicted on software developers if Internet Explorer's underlying technology was torn out of Windows. In fact, 74 SMEs from throughout Europe signed onto our submission.

On Friday, Microsoft released the details of a proposal it has made the European Commission to resolve issues in the Statement of Objections to relative applause by the EC.

While we are still reviewing the proposal internally and with our membership, it appears that it will not adversely affect developers who rely on Internet Explorer API's.  According to Annex A-1:

When Internet Explorer is turned off using this feature
there is minimal impact on third-part programs (and other parts of Windows
itself) that call upon Internet Explorer APIs.This is because the Internet Explorer files that provide
functionality to third parties and other parts of Windows through APIs are left
intact when Internet Explorer is turned off.

However, it is still unclear exactly what is meant by "minimal impact" based on the other commitments Microsoft is making.  We will hopefully learn more over the coming weeks.

In the meantime, however, it is promising that the Commission is praising a proposal which appears to be designed to protect the interests of independent software developers from around the world.