Italian Atlantia SpA’s Euro 16.3 billion (US$19 billion) takeover bid of Spanish rival toll road operator Abertis Infrastructuras, S.A. is in peril of being revoked by the Spanish government on procedural grounds because Atlantia neglected to file for official approval to bid on Abertis.

Two Spanish ministries, Public Works (Fomento) and Industry, separately notified the Italian infrastructure operator that it could not ignore the obligation to request government authorization for a change of ownership of Abertis’s Spanish toll roads.