Publicis Groupe and Omnicom get unconditional clearance to merge from European Commission

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Omincom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) and Publicis Groupe(Euronext Paris: FR0000130577) today announced that they have received approvalfrom the European Commission in connection with the pending merger of PublicisGroupe and Omnicom.  The proposed mergerwas notified to the European Commission on November 25, 2013 and was authorizedtoday without condition following a phase 1 review.

This approval follows previously disclosed clearances inAustralia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, SouthAfrica, South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine and the expiration of theHart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (HSR) review period in theUnited-States.

The approval from the European Commission, the expiration of the HSR review period in the U.S. and the clearances received in other jurisdictions satisfy some of the conditions necessary for the transaction to close.  The merger is also subject to additional regulatory approvals, including merger control approval in China, registration of the transaction with U.S. and certain European securities regulators, stock exchange listings and approval by share holders of both companies.

The proposed merger of Publicis Groupe and Omnicom will create a world leader in communications, advertising, marketing, and digital services, offering clients the industry’s leading talent across disciplines and grographies.