(Reuters) - The EU Commission on Thursday said it had unconditionally approved the $14 billion takeover of networking gear maker Juniper Networks ( JNPR ) by Hewlett Packard Enterprise ( HPE ).

The commission said its investigation had shown the deal would not significantly reduce competition in the markets for wireless local area network equipment and access points, ethernet campus switches and datacentre switches.

It said the merged company's market position would remain moderate, while it would continue to face competition from a wide range of competitors.

People familiar with the matter on Monday already said HPE was set to secure approval for the deal announced in January.

The takeover underscores the rush by companies to upgrade and develop new products amid a sharp rise in artificial intelligence-driven services.

The deal is also being assessed by Britain's antitrust enforcer, with a decision due on Aug. 14.