Representatives from 3 Austria will this week meet with EU regulators in an attempt to get approval for its much debated acquisition of Orange Austria, Reuters reports.

The paper said that executives will argue their case in a private hearing on Wednesday, which will also be attended by officials from the European Commission’s competition unit and national agencies.

It is believed that approval for the deal is likely to hinge on a number of conditions, including the 3 Austria/Orange network being opened to competitors.

Some reports suggesting a preliminary deal with cable operator UPC is already in place, while Nordic group Tele2 has also been linked.

However, Hutchison has expressed concern that making too many concessions will reduce the potential benefits of the transaction.

Hutchison plans to acquire 100 of Orange Austria from owners Mid Europa Partners and France Telecom, before merging it with 3 Austria.

Some assets will also be sold to market leader Telekom Austria, a transaction which itself has raised some concern, because it will take Telekom to a near 50 percent market share.