Spanish court demands EDF clarify Iberdrola plans

MADRID, March 26 (Reuters) - A Spanish court has demanded EDF (EDF.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) clarify its intentions towards Iberdrola (IBE.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) after months of newspaper reports that the French utility is planning a takeover bid for its Spanish rival.

In a ruling dated March 25 and seen by Reuters on Wednesday, the mercantile court of Bilbao said EDF should declare if it had started to buy or planned to buy Iberdrola shares or securities convertible into stock.

The court also demanded EDF say if it was preparing to buy Iberdrola with third parties and if it planned to break up Spain's largest utility by market capitalisation.

Over the last few weeks, newspapers have reported that EDF has been in talks with Iberdrola's main shareholder ACS (ACS.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) about bidding for the company and breaking it up between them. (Reporting by Carlos Ruano; Writing by Jane Barrett; Editing by Jason Webb)