* Lescoeur appointment sign French want to strengthen grip
* Edison not considering capital hike-chairman
* Shares end up 5 percent, outperform sector
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By Stephen Jewkes and Giancarlo Navach
MILAN, April 26 (Reuters) - Edison shareholders are confident of reaching an agreement in the next few months on a governance reshuffle that could see France's EDF take control of Italy's No.2 power generator.
EDF controls Edison with Italian regional utility A2A through a complex shareholder pact. In March it agreed with A2A to extend the pact to Sept. 15, buying time to win over the Italian government.
Rome has passed a decree setting up barriers against foreign takeovers of certain industries deemed to be strategic. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the state should intervene in sectors only where internal security is at stake.
Berlusconi's centre-right government has become concerned about French moves on Italian companies. French dairy group Lactalis on Tuesday launched a 3.4 billion euro takeover bid for rival Parmalat.
"Reducing the duration (of the new board) indicates that Italian and French shareholders want to reach an accord in a reasonable time," Edison Chairman Giuliano Zuccoli said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the shareholders meeting.
The new Edison board, appointed Tuesday for just one year, named EDF's Bruno Lescoeur as CEO in a sign the French intend to strengthen their grip on Edison.
Lescoeur, who has been in EDF since 1978, is currently senior executive vice president of the French utility and is in charge of EDF's gas business.
With gas spot prices so low, Edison's long-term take-or-pay gas contracts have been weighing on margins and management is committed to renegotiating them.
Asked if a governance agreement at Edison would be reached before Sept. 15, Lescoeur said "I hope so."
A restructuring plan for Edison had already been agreed by A2A and EDF, essentially giving EDF control and A2A assets, but was halted when the government expressed its concern.
"The matter is at an advanced stage. There's no need to waste any more time. The French can keep their majority stake with the chance for us to cut our stake in return for assets," Zuccoli said on Tuesday.
EDF owns about 50 percent of Edison but only has joint control of Edison with A2A because of the shareholder pact.
Zuccoli confirmed Edison was not considering a capital increase. "The financial situation of Edison is normal. A capital hike is unthinkable," he said.
Lescoeur declined to comment when asked.
Edison shares ended up 4.99 percent at 0.8105 euros. The STOXX Europe 600 utilities index was up 0.44 percent. (Editing by David Holmes and Will Waterman)