Brussels, 18/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has until 27 September to decide on the operation by which Pirelli is to take control of Olivetti and indirectly of the company controlled by the latter, Telecom Italia. At that date, the Commission will have to initiate a two-month in-depth enquiry if it still wants to secure from the parties concerned sufficient undertakings to exclude any risk of the creation of strengthening of a dominant position. On 8 September, the Commission decided to postpone from 17 to 27 September the deadline for any decision, following the presentation by the companies of a first series of undertakings (see EUROPE of 10/11 September, p.17), but daily talks between its competition services and the parties have still not allowed for a satisfactory outcome as far as the Commission is concerned. Here is a commentary from the spokesperson for Commissioner Monti, Amelia Torres, who on Monday told the press "the companies are perfectly aware of the necessary undertakings to avoid initiation of a second phase. As soon as the Commission will have received these, it will be able to take a decision".