EU approves sale of AOL UK

The European Commission Friday approved the planned sale of AOL LLC’s U.K. Internet access business to Carphone Warehouse Group PLC (CPW) of the U.K. The deal follows recent similar sell-offs in Germany and France.

The Commission said that its month-long examination of the proposed transaction showed that in the sectors where the companies’ activities overlap, Internet access services and fixed-line telephony services, the combined entity’s share of the relevant market “would not give rise to competition concerns as the new firm would continue to face effective competitive pressure from other market participants.”

The Commission is the European Union’s regulatory and executive branch.

Time Warner Inc., AOL’s owner, has been retreating from the Internet access business in Europe, where its subscriber numbers are declining.

AOL company has about 5.9 million customers for its three European divisions, in the U.K., France and Germany. In September it agreed to sell its French operation to Neuf Cegetel SA for €288 million (US$374 million). A month later it agreed to sell its German Internet service provider to Telecom Italia SpA for €675 million.

In September it agreed to sell its German Internet service provider to Telecom Italia SpA for €675 million (US$853.5 million) and its French operation to Neuf Cegetel SA for €288 million.

CPW is an independent retailer of mobile communications, with over 1,500 stores in Europe. As well as retailing mobile handsets and mobile connections, CPW is active in the supply of fixed-line telecommunication services to business and residential customers. It also offers narrowband and broadband Internet access services to U.K. and European residential customers.