PARIS- The European Commission did not request extra time for talks on a planned restructuring of French state-controlled energy firm EDF, a source in the French finance ministry said on Monday.
French broadcaster BFMTV reported on Monday that the European Commission had told French officials they wanted a further six months of talks because they could not give the green light to the restructuring plan as it stands now.
Responding to the report, EDF shares were down around 17% at 13:55 GMT on Monday.
The finance ministry source said: "This negotiation is underway and in any case no additional time to finalise it has been requested."
The restructuring plan, backed by French President Emmanuel Macron, would involve separating out EDF's capital-intensive nuclear power division from other parts of its business.
The plan requires a green light from the European Union's anti-trust regulator.
(Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Writing by Christian Lowe; editing by David Evans) ((christian.lowe@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 52 07;))
