The European Commission has extended the deadline to July 23 for its decision on Vodafone Group PLC's proposed €18.4 billion acquisition of Liberty Global PLC's operations in Germany and eastern Europe.

Vodafone has been in talks with the commission to secure regulatory clearance for the deal. The British telecom giant recently offered to grant Telefónica SA unit Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG long-term wholesale access to its cable broadband network in Germany, a move that did not sit well with rival operator Deutsche Telekom AG.

In May 2018, Vodafone struck a deal to purchase Liberty Global's cable assets in Germany, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic. Vodafone Group CEO Nick Read expressed confidence that the transaction will close in July.