The final step was to notify the European Commission about the merger in order to obtain regulatory approval.
The list of proposed assets for divestment in Europe has been slightly amended as a result of the pre-notification discussions held with the European Commission. The changes are to retain Lafarge's Mannersdorf plant located in Austria and to divest all of Holcim's operations in Slovakia.
In the rest of the world, the proposed list of assets remains as announced in July, with the exception of the Philippines, as announced by the boards of directors of Lafarge Republic Inc and of Holcim Philippines Inc.
In parallel to the regulatory process, Holcim and Lafarge are in ongoing negotiations with potential buyers of the assets that are proposed for divestment.
Both companies will continue to consider whether further divestments would be necessary in areas where there are overlaps or to satisfy regulatory requirements.
The closing of the planned merger is expected in the first half of 2015, with the aim of creating a combined business operating in 90 countries.
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