If those at Google have a nailed down strategy for the soon-to-be acquired Motorola, they clearly aren't keen on making it public.

Since the proposed $12.5 billion deal was first announced, Google executives have suggested the company would be run at arms length, but would also be an intrinsic part of its operations moving forward – especially in light of the OEM's bulging patent portfolio.

Either way, the EU executive - which was evaluating the acquisition on behalf of the 27 member strong European Union – believes it has enough information to rule that a Google-owned Motorola will have no significant impact on the mobile OS market.

Work in progress

As such, the EU has effectively given the deal its seal of approval.

"We have approved the acquisition...because upon careful examination, this transaction does not itself raise competition issues," said EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia in a statement.

However, Almunia has cast aside any notion that the EU will now take its eye on the ball, suggesting it will keep watch over developments moving forward.

"This merger decision should not and will not mean that we are not concerned by the possibility that, once Google is the owner of this portfolio, Google can abuse these patents, linking some patents with its Android devices," he continued.

"This is our worry. We might be obliged to open some cases in the future. This is not enough to block the merger but we will be vigilant."

End of round one

Next up for Google and Motorola is the ruling to be made by the US Justice Department, which is expected to green light the acquisition in the coming days.

The firms will also need the approval of Chinese regulators before the move becomes official, while Reuters reports regulators in Israel and Taiwan are also yet to make a ruling.

[source: Reuters]