10/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - According to the Financial Times of 10 September, several people close to the dossier have made it known that the Commission is close to approving the Sony/BMG merger without conditions, ahead of the deadline of 10 October. The initial approval of the Commission was overturned by the Court of First Instance in 2006. The new Commission evaluation must therefore include a number of new elements, including online markets and impact on independent access to various European music markets (EUROPE 9378). Helen Smith, the General Secretary of IMPALA, the European Independent Music Companies' Association, remains cautious: “Just because the Commission has not released a communication with complaints does not mean that the merger will automatically be approved unconditionally”. (cd)