MILAN (Reuters) - Banco BPM said on Thursday it had secured approval from Italy's antitrust agency to acquire full control of Italy's largest independent asset manager Anima Holding.

In the latest sign of pressure to consolidate in the saving management industry, Italy's third-largest bank last month announced an offer of up to 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 billion) to buy out, through its insurance arm, other investors in Anima, in which it currently has a 22% stake.

The plan, however, was complicated by UniCredit's unsolicited 10-billion-euro all-share bid for Banco BPM, triggering a 'passivity rule' that stops managers of a takeover target from doing anything that could thwart a takeover bid without approval from shareholders.

This approval, for example, would be required if Banco BPM were to raise the price of its bid for Anima.

Since Banco BPM made its move, shares in Anima have risen some 15% to 6.6 euros, above the 6.2 euros per share the bank is offering other investors.

($1 = 0.9517 euros)

(Reporting by Andrea Mandalà. Editing by Alvise Armellini and Mark Potter)