The European Commission (EC) cleared the way for a proposed acquisition of Polish operator Play by Iliad, after finding no competition concerns would stem from the move.

In a statement, the EC explained it had concluded the takeover would not pose a risk to the competitiveness of Poland’s market, because there was an “absence of horizontal overlaps” between the companies given they operate in different countries.

Iliad unveiled its plan to purchase Play for €3.5 billion, including debt, in September.

The EC’s decision was within a timeline it originally set for the deal.

Play is the largest operator in Poland, holding a 29 per cent market share with nearly 15 million mobile connections in Q3 (excluding IoT) data from GSMA Intelligence showed.

Iliad has shaken mobile markets in France and Italy, entering each with aggressive strategies around pricing to help swiftly establish its position.