EDF moves to get EU backing for British Energy takeover

(BRUSSELS) - French electricity giant EDF has put forward new proposals aimed at avoiding competition problems over its 15.7 billion euro (23 billion dollar) bid for British Energy, the European Commission said Tuesday.

The EU's executive arm did not give details of the proposed changes, which could range from the sale of a subsidiary to specific promises over future operations.

In light of the new information, the EU's competition watchdog has pushed back its decision on the deal from December 8 to December 22.

The French group announced in September that British Energy's managers had accepted its offer and would recommend it to shareholders, prompting Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown to hail it as "a significant step towards the construction of a new generation of nuclear stations to power the country."

The deal, priced at 774 pence a share (11.50 dollars), will create a new subsidiary controlled by EDF which expects the takeover to be sewn up by the end of 2009.

British Energy provides almost one fifth of Britain's electricity and owns and operates eight of the country's 10 nuclear power stations.