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EU: Dutch barred from $9.5B cable merger review

By  |  June 25, 2014

The European Commission has rejected requests by authorities in the Netherlands asking for jurisdiction over the merger review of Liberty Global’s proposed acquisition of Ziggo.

According to reports, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets had argued that it is more knowledgeable on the state of the nation’s cable industry; the Commission, however, announced Wednesday that Dutch authorities are “not better placed to examine the transaction.”

According to reports, the Commission ruled that because of its extensive experience in ruling on cable mergers, as well as Liberty Global’s presence in 12 EU markets, means the Commission should rule on the $9.5 billion transaction to provide consistency in its stance on cable mergers.

The EU’s ruling follows last month’s decision to launch a formal investigation into the deal to examine its potential effects on competition in the Netherlands.

Full content: Wall Street Journal

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