MADRID (AFX) - Industry minister Joan Clos said the government will respond 'within days' to the European Commission's demand that it eases the current restrictions imposed by sector regulator CNE on E.ON AG's 26.9 bln eur bid for Endesa SA, Expansion reported.
The newspaper cited Clos as saying that the issue is 'complex' and involves trying to 'tie-up' European regulation on the free movement of capital with the fact that there is no single energy market.
The minister said he is confident a response will be issued by Nov 10.
A five-day deadline set by the EU for Madrid to reply to a 'letter of formal notice', the first stage in the EU's infringement process, expires today.
At end last month, the commission said Spain must remove the conditions the CNE attached to its approval of E.ON's offer for Endesa after finding 18 of them illegal.
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