EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT members voted overwhelmingly for the break-up of internet giant Google today.

But, highlighting the impotence of the EU Parliament in the face of big capital, MEPs had to admit that the vote was merely symbolic in the four-year standoff between Brussels and the US internet giant.

In a direct challenge to Google, MEPs assembled in Strasbourg approved a resolution calling on the EU to consider ordering search engines to separate their commercial services from their businesses.

While Google is not directly mentioned in the proposal, the California-based search engine is clearly the target.

The resolution was passed with 384 in favour and only 174 votes against.

But the European Parliament has no power to effect the break-up of Google, even though the mood towards the company in Europe has soured.

Google has become an increasing source of worry for European officials on issues ranging from privacy to the protection of national publishers.

Since 2010, Google has been under investigation by the European Commission in response to complaints that its search engine, the world’s biggest, was squeezing out competitors in Europe.

Google and Brussels have also clashed over the so-called “right to be forgotten.” The top EU court ruled last year that people had a right to tell search engines to delete information about them after a period of time.

EU privacy watchdogs issued guidelines on Wednesday calling on the company to apply the “right to be forgotten” rule to all search results.