Dutch court upholds Vivendi’s appeal against Mediaset pan-European plan

MILAN (Reuters) – Vivendi on Tuesday welcomed a decision by a Dutch court to uphold an appeal by the French media group against plans by Italian broadcaster Mediaset to fold its businesses under a Dutch holding company to pursue international expansion.

A spokesman for Vivendi said the group was “very pleased” with the decision which it believed to be “in the interest of all of Mediaset’s shareholders.”

Earlier on Tuesday a legal source had told Reuters the court had ruled in favour of Vivendi.

Vivendi is the second-biggest shareholder in Mediaset, which is controlled by the family of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The two firms have been embroiled in a legal battle for the past four years following a collapsed pay-TV deal.

Vivedi has been fighting in court a plan by Mediaset to merge its domestic and Spanish businesses into a Dutch holding company it would then use to build alliances with peers in Europe. Vivendi says the governance of the new entity strengthens the Berlusconi family’s grip on the firm.

Mediaset was not immediately available for a comment.

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing by Valentina Za)