Intel is expected to win EU approval next week for its $7.68 billion purchase of security specialist McAfee Inc after offering more concessions to ease competition concerns, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Thursday.

World No. 1 chipmaker Intel had already secured clearance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on December 21 to acquire McAfee, the world's No. 2 maker of security software.

Intel had in recent days proposed more remedies to the European Commission in addition to others offered on January 6 after complaints by McAfee's rivals, the sources said. The Commission's clearance is likely next week, one of the sources said.

Another source said the main element of Intel's concession related to interoperability that will allow products from McAfee's competitors to function without restrictions on Intel products.

The European Union regulator had been concerned that Intel might embed certain elements of McAfee's virus-fighting technology in its widely used microprocessor chips for personal computers and that this would give it an unfair advantage over its rivals, two other persons familiar with the case told Reuters earlier this month.

EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia is expected to hold a news conference on Wednesday to announce the decision in the case.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee)

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