France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom want the European Commission to investigate the planned merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK, according to a report in the Financial Times. Apparently the companies are concerned that a UK-based enquiry would take longer, which could give competitors more of an opportunity.
The investigation will start with the EC in Brussels, because the two companies have the bulk of their operations outside the UK, but could be transferred to the UK if European regulators agree. Investigations by the UK Competition Commission can take up to six months; that's six weeks longer than EC regulators.