Unipol gets ECB, Bank of Italy nod for de facto control of BPER Banca

Oct 9 (Reuters) - Italian insurer Unipol said on Friday the European Central Bank and the Bank of Italy had granted it authorisations to exceed 20% of BPER Banca and thereby acquire de facto control of Italy's fifth-largest bank.

Unipol aims to hold more than 30% of a future banking group combining BPER Banca and assets carved out of Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), with scope to increase that stake over time, its chief executive said in August.

(Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Barcelona; Editing by Chris Reese)