The European Commission put back its deadline for reaching a decision on the proposed merger of TeliaSonera and Telenor’s units in Denmark.

The Commission had been due to decide by 2 September, but now has until 16 September, a delay of two weeks (or ten working days).

The extension is based on an article of EU merger regulation which, according to Reuters, is typically the result of companies requesting more time to work on their arguments.

Last month, the European Commission pressed the two operators for more concessions if they wanted approval for a merger which would reduce the number of operators in Denmark from four to three.

The Commission opened an in-depth investigation in April. At the time it expressed concerns that the merged entity would face insufficient competition from the only two remaining players. “This could lead to higher prices and less innovation,” it argued in a statement.

In addition, the reduction in the number of network operators able to offer wholesale services could weaken the position of MVNOs in the Danish market, it said.