Spain's antitrust watchdog has criticized Apple and Amazon for failing to promptly remove anti-competitive clauses from their contracts, according to statements from Spanish regulators.

The complaint centers on contract terms related to Amazon's role as a reseller of Apple products. Spanish antitrust officials said the companies did not quickly comply with an order to modify these contractual arrangements.

The case represents an escalation in Spain's yearslong antitrust investigation into the two technology giants. Spanish regulators have been examining the business relationship between Apple and Amazon, particularly focusing on terms that may restrict competition in the marketplace.

The specific nature of the anti-competitive clauses was not detailed in the regulatory statements. However, the criticism suggests the companies' response time to compliance orders did not meet the expectations of Spanish antitrust authorities.

Both Apple and Amazon have faced increasing scrutiny from European regulators over their business practices and market dominance in recent years. The Spanish case adds to broader regulatory pressure on major technology companies across the European Union.