STOCKHOLM: Telecom operators TeliaSonera and Telenor have abandoned a proposed merger of their Danish operations due to concerns by European Union regulators that it would stifle competition.

The Swedish and Norwegian companies said on Friday in a joint release they were unable to agree with the EU’s Executive Commission ‘on acceptable conditions’ to create ‘a robust mobile operator’ in Denmark based on a deal agreed on in December.

EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said that discussions with the parties on the merger ‘were not able to fully address the Commission’s competition concerns’.