EU court explores need to rule on abandoned O2-Three merger in UK
By Lewis Crofts ( June 3, 2026, 11:34 GMT | Insight) -- CK Hutchison told judges that future mergers in EU telecoms markets depended on scrapping the European Commission's 2016 prohibition of a tieup between O2 and its Three brand in the UK, and the EU courts needed to rule on it despite the intervening decade. The European Commission said the company was advocating only a general interest in pursuing its appeal, and the deal was dead and was in a country that was no longer part of the EU.CK Hutchison told judges that future mergers in EU telecoms markets depended on scrapping the European Commission's 2016 prohibition of a tieup between O2 and its Three brand in the UK, and the EU courts needed to rule on it despite the intervening decade....
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