BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. medical equipment maker Medtronic (>> Medtronic, Inc.) has asked European Union antitrust regulators to approve its proposed $43 billion (26.73 billion pounds) purchase of Irish peer Covidien Plc (>> Covidien plc), the European Commission said on Monday.

The acquisition, which will put Medtronic on about the same footing as industry leader Johnson & Johnson (>> Johnson & Johnson), will reduce its overall global tax burden.

Medtronic however said it is not an inversion deal where U.S. companies acquire foreign rivals to move their tax domicile abroad, but rather a move to boost its medical technology strategy.

The EU competition authority has set a Nov. 14 deadline for its decision. It can either clear the deal unconditionally or ask for concessions to allay possible antitrust concerns or open an in-depth investigation.

Analysts said the disparate businesses of the two companies should not trigger any significant regulatory worries.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Susan Thomas)

Stocks treated in this article : Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Inc., Covidien plc