EU antitrust regulators set March 20 deadline for Orange, MasMovil tie-up

The logo of Orange is seen on the facade of a store in Ronda
The logo of Orange is seen on the facade of a store in Ronda, Spain, October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Jon Nazca

BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - (This Feb. 14 story has been corrected to say Orange, MasMovil tie-up, not Orange's bid, in the headline, and to say Orange's $19 billion merger with MasMovil in Spain, not Orange's bid for MasMovil, in paragraph 1)

EU antitrust regulators will decide by March 20 whether to clear French telecoms provider Orange's (ORAN.PA) $19 billion merger with Spanish telecoms provider MasMovil in Spain, 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

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