Apple's iron grip over over how music purchased from its iTunes online music store can be played has been severely criticised by European Union consumer protection commissioner, Meglena Kuneva.

In an interview with German weekly magazine, Focus, Meglena Kuneva said Apple's behaviour stifled choice for consumers: "Do you think it's fine that a CD plays in all CD players but that a song purchased from iTunes only plays in an iPod? I don't. Something has to change. "

Although the commissioner's views were personal and did not represent a formal attack on the company by the EU Commission, it has increased the pressure on Apple to enable players other than its own iPod to playback music bought from the iTunes store. Ms Kuneva is leading a review of the eight basic laws that govern cross-border consumer rights.

Norway, which is not an EU member, has said that Apple must change its digital rights management (DRM) by 1 October or face legal action. Consumer rights organisations in Finland, France and Germany have said that Apple's strict tying of iTunes to the iPod had left failed to give consumers fair choice.

Meanwhile earlier this month, the Free Software Foundation in the US launched an online petition urging Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, to remove DRM from the iTunes Music Store entirely.

Mr Jobs said last month that his company is willing to make iTunes DRM-free, but only when other big companies promised to follow suit.

Mr Jobs said that if the "big four" of the music industry sold music files that were free of DRM, it would create an "interoperable music marketplace".