UPDATE 2-Parmalat poised to give Italy investors more time

* Parmalat calls board meeting on AGM date on April 1

* Ferrero says still considering a deal for Parmalat

* Italy considering French-style anti-takeover measures

* Lactalis says French law does not protect food sector (Adds Parmalat statement)

By Antonella Ciancio and Giselda Vagnoni

MILAN/ROME, March 28 (Reuters) - The board of dairy group Parmalat (PLT.MI) will meet on Friday to decide whether to give Italian investors more time to reach a deal with France's Lactalis over the control of Italy's biggest listed food company.

Italy's centre-right government last week approved a special decree allowing Parmalat to postpone its April 12-14 shareholders meeting until June and pledged new anti-takeover measures, to prevent dairy group Lactalis from tightening its grip on Parmalat.

A two-month break would give Italy's No. 1 retail bank, Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI), time to assemble an all-Italian consortium for Parmalat, possibly with Italy's top confectionery group, Ferrero, government sources said. Intesa owns 2.4 percent of Parmalat.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Reuters Breakingviews column on [ID:nLDE72M0QU]

Italy to erect barriers to curtail foreign bids [ID:nLDE72M1AO] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

Confirming an earlier report by Reuters, Parmalat said on Monday it has called a board meeting on April 1 for a new AGM.

Lactalis, Europe's largest dairy group, has built a stake in Parmalat of just below a 30 percent takeover threshold and could take a majority of board seats at the April meeting.

Italy's government has said it would borrow from France new rules protecting national food, energy, defence and telecommunications companies from foreign takeovers.

But Lactalis issued a statement on Monday to say that the French law does not consider the food industry to be a strategic sector to protect.

"SAGA OF ANIMOSITIES"

Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti said on Sunday the government's new rules would echo a similar French decree approved after unconfirmed speculation in 2005 that PepsiCo (PEP.N) wanted to buy French food firm Danone (DANO.PA).

"I do not intend to add to the saga of animosities between EU member states and I think we have everything to win from a collective, rich and permanent dialogue," French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said on Monday.

"What is important for us, and I know that my colleague Giulio Tremonti shares the same view, is time: are we facing long-term investors or people that come to grab a brand, take know-how, dismember a company, and leave?" she said.

Nutella chocolate maker Ferrero said on Monday it remained open to an all-Italian deal for Parmalat, denying a report in Il Messaggero newspaper saying it had walked away from talks.

"Ferrero remains interested in an Italian long-term industrial solution for Parmalat," a Ferrero spokesman said.

However, the family-run group said it wanted the government to approve the anti-takeover rules before deciding what to do.

Analysts say neither Lactalis nor Ferrero is likely to launch a full takeover bid on Parmalat at the moment, adding Ferrero could offer to buy out Lactalis' 29 percent stake in the dairy group.

However, Ferrero does not want to overpay for a stake that cost Lactalis around $1 billion, a source close to the talks said.

Parmalat shares closed down 1.01 percent at 2.356 euros, underperforming STOXX Europe 600 food and beverage index .SX3P. (Additional reporting by Dominique Vidalon in Paris; Editing by David Cowell and Steve Orlofsky)