The European Union has given France the go-ahead to fund a potential rival to Google, reports Variety.

French government will offer $153 million in aid to the Quaero program. Quaero is composed of 23 French and German software and technology firms of all sizes, with French firm Thomson in the lead.

The project has had a rough history, with disagreements between French and German governments over various issues. Former German technicians on Quareo have since moved on to a smaller, German-only projects.

The goal of Quaero is to provide a home-grown European online advertising and technology solution to compete against the American Google. This is not Google's first rival. And it probably comes at an inopportune time for EU teeth-gnashers, considering Google just won EU approval for its DoubleClick purchase.