HP puts Europe on hold in Compaq talks

NEWS HP has delayed presenting plans of its proposed merger with Compaq to the European Commission to give regulators extra time to smooth out concerns over the deal. The decision to postpone formal notification could avoid a long European anti-trust investigation by giving the Commission extra time now to discuss the issue. The HP-Compaq deal was announced in September and the companies had been due to notify European regulators formally by October. However, a filing is now expected at the end of this year or early 2002. Once the Commission receives formal notification it has a month to decide whether it will approve the deal or opt for a four month investigation period.