Intel won European Union regulatory approval on Wednesday for its $7.68 billion acquisition of data security firm McAfee Inc after it agreed to grant rival firms access to its technology.

World No. 1 chipmaker Intel secured clearance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on December 21 to acquire McAfee, the world's No. 2 maker of security software, its largest ever purchase. The decision by the European Commission, the EU competition watchdog, confirmed a Reuters report on January 20.

The commitments submitted by Intel strike the right balance, as they allow preserving both competition and the beneficial effects of the merger, EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a statement.

Intel agreed to ensure that rival security firms have access to all necessary information that would allow their products to use Intel's chips and personal computers, the Commission said.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee)

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