Europe: Holcim and Lafarge are holding talks with the European Union (EU) in a bid to obtain fasterapproval of their merger plan. Holcim and Lafarge plan to iron out possible EU concerns over the merged company's market power before filing for approval of the deal, the step that starts the EU's review.
Addressing EU issues at an early stage may allow regulators to approve the deal without opening an in-depth probe, which could add about four months to the process. The companies announced a wave of divestments in July 2014 in an attempt to ward off regulatory obstacles. Planned sales are weighted toward Europe, cutting exposure of both companies to the slower-growing region. European plants earmarked for divestment include sites in Austria, France, Germany and Romania. Under the EU's merger-review process, most deals are cleared at the first hurdle.
