BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU antitrust regulators will decide by March 20 whether to clear French telecoms provider Orange’s $19 billion bid for Spanish telecoms provider MasMovil, a European Commission filing showed on Tuesday.
Orange sought EU approval the previous day.
The EU competition watchdog can clear the deal with or without remedies after its preliminary review ends, or it can open a four-month investigation if it has serious concerns.
The deal marks a tie-up between Spain’s second and fourth largest telecoms operators, which could trigger more stringent scrutiny by the Commission.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
