Search giant Google has managed to transform Android into a huge success story, one that today is probably exceeding what even the creators of the OS had in mind. The ecosystem that built up around the mobile operating system suddenly became extremely profitable for advertisers, app developers and finally manufacturers – the last area that Google managed – or is more accurately hoping to manage – to get a foothold in.

Google’s massive $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola, one of the largest Android OEMs out there, has not yet been cleared all the way through as can be expected from a still relatively recent deal of this size.  Today however, the acquisition reached a milestone and passed the inspection of the European Union. The Verge picked up a statement by a EU official that commented on the decision:

“EU Commission Vice President Joaquín Almunia says that “this transaction does not itself raise competition issues,” but that the Commission is keeping a close eye on the behavior of players in the mobile market, “particularly the increasingly strategic use of patents.”

It’s expected that the US Justice Department will produce a similar announcement sometime in the very near future, which means that Google’s only got three more countries to persuade: China, Israel and Taiwan.

It’s notable that Google is doing its fair share of work to try and boost its image in the eyes of legislators. Earlier this month we covered a mobile initiative by the company in Europe that was probably driven by more than just pure goodwill and charitable spirit.