Brussels, 25/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 24 June, the European Commission decided not to refer the planned acquisition of Ziggo (a Dutch cable operator) by Liberty Global (a UK-based telecoms company) to the Dutch competition authority for assessment under Dutch competition law. The Dutch competition authority requested the right to examine the deal on 25 March 2014, some ten days after it was notified to the Commission. The Commission decided that the Dutch body was not better placed to examine the transaction because of the Commission's experience in assessing many mergers in the converging media and telecommunications sectors, the presence of Liberty Global in 12 countries of the European Economic Area (EEA), and the need for a consistent application of the merger control rules. The Commission will therefore continue its investigation and has until 17 October 2014 to take a final decision. (EL)