MILAN and CHARENTON-le-PONT, France—In a joint statement issued Monday, Essilor (Euronext Paris: EI) and Luxottica (MTA: LUX) reported that the proposed combination of the two companies “continues to progress, with the antitrust process advancing in all jurisdictions.”

In the U.S. and Canada, two of the five jurisdictions whose approvals “are a condition precedent to the closing of the transaction, the investigation has entered the phase of a secondary request, as expected for such a sizeable deal,” the joint statement noted. In addition to these two markets, Essilor and Luxottica also jointly filed with the antitrust authorities in Brazil.

“The two companies’ shared objective in cooperation with the relevant authorities is to close the antitrust process around the end of the year,” the statement noted.

In China, the fourth jurisdiction for which approval is a condition precedent, the proposed transaction is under MOFCOM’s review and notification acceptance is expected shortly, according to the statement.

In Europe, the fifth jurisdiction for which approval is a condition precedent, the two companies are conducting an open and constructive dialogue with the Commission in the context of the pre-notification phase and expect to be able to formally notify the transaction in the coming weeks.

The two companies have already received clearance in Russia and India. In other relevant jurisdictions, the two companies have notified the transaction and are conducting an open and constructive dialogue with the antitrust authorities, the statement noted.

As VMail reported in January, Essilor and Delfin, the majority shareholder of Luxottica Group, signed an agreement designed to create an integrated global player in the eyewear industry with the combination of Essilor and Luxottica.