BRUSSELS, Aug 29 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process:
APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS
-- Polish chemicals company Synthos to acquire Swiss-based chemicals group Ineos' expandable polystyrene business INEOS Styrenics (notified July 25/deadline Aug. 30/approved Aug.29)
NEW LISTINGS
None
EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES
None
FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
SEPT 8
-- CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd and Vimpelcom to merge their Italian mobile operations (notified Feb. 5/deadline extended to Sept. 8 from Aug 18)
SEPT 9
-- Commodities trader Archer Daniels Midland Co and Singaporean palm oil processor Wilmar International Ltd to acquire joint control of Olenex joint venture (notified Aug. 4/deadline Sept. 9)
-- Investment fund Partners Group to acquire real estate services provider Foncia Holding and its subsidiaries (notified July 4/deadline Aug. 9/simplified)
SEPT 12
-- South African furniture and household goods retailer Steinhoff International to acquire British retailer Poundland (notified Aug. 5/deadline Sept. 12/simplified)
-- French carmaker Groupe PSA subsidiary Automobiles Citroën SA and Spanish management services provider Estacionamientos y servicios, S.A.U. to set up a car sharing joint venture (notified Aug. 5/deadline Sept. 12/simplified)
-- Investment fund OpenGate Capital to acquire Belgian materials group Umicore's zinc chemicals business (notified Aug. 5/deadline Sept. 12/simplified)
SEPT 14
-- Private equity firm First Reserve to acquire UK service provider Morrison Utility Services (notified Aug. 9/deadline Sept. 14/simplified)
-- Investment company Cerberus to acquire control of French financial companies GE Money Bank SCA, Sorefi SCA, Somafi-Soguafi SCA and General Electric Financement Pacifique (notified Aug. 9/Sept. 14/simplified)
SEPT 15
-- Private investment company Ardian to acquire joint control of fibre product producer Kemide and its subsidiary Kermel (notified Aug. 10/deadline Sept. 15/simplified)
SEPT 16
-- Dutch infrastructure fund DIF and French utility EDF to acquire German gas grid Thyssengas (notified Aug. 11/deadline Sept. 16)
SEPT 19
--French oil and gas major Total to take over Lampiris, Belgium's third-largest natural gas and renewable power vendor (notified Aug. 12/deadline Sept. 19)
--Canon Inc to acquire Toshiba Corp's medical equipment unit (notified Aug. 12/deadline Sept. 19)
--A division of Chinese aviation and shipping conglomerate HNA Group to buy U.S-based Carlson Hotels Inc, owner of the Radisson hotel chain (notified Aug. 12/deadline Sept. 19)
SEPT 20
-- Impulsora Del Desarrollo Y El Empleo En America Latina, S.A.B. De C.V., CPPIB and Ontario teachers' pension plan create strategic partnership to invest in infrastructure assets in Mexico (notified Aug. 16/deadline Sept. 20/simplified)
-- China's HNA Group to acquire Swiss airline catering firm Gategroup (notified Aug. 16/deadline Sept. 20)
-- Agricultural commodities trader Bunge to acquire majority stake in German company Walter Rau (notified Aug. 16/deadline Sept. 20/simplified)
SEPT 21
-- Computer Sciences Corporation to merge with Hewlett Packard Enterprise's information technology services segment.
(notified Aug.18/eadline Sept.21/simplified)
SEPT 22
-- Verlinvest and China Resources Co. to acquire joint control over Resources Verlinvest Health Investment.
(notified Aug.18/deadline Sept.22/simplified)
-- Czech investor EPH and private equity group PPF Investments to buy from Sweden's stale-owned utility Vattenfall lignite mines and power plants in Germany - Vattenfall Mining and Vattenfall Generation. (notified Aug.18/deadline Sept.22)
SEPT 23
-- Swiss bank PostFinance and infrastructure group SIX to acquire joint control of a new mobile payment system Twint. (notified Aug.19/deadline Sept.23/simplified)
-- Allergan to sell its Anda distribution business to Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. (notified Aug. 19/deadline Sept. 23/simplified)
-- Buyout firm Hellman & Friedman, Permira Advisers and Technology Crossover Ventures buy stake in Genesys, a U.S. provider of call centre software. (notified Aug.19/deadline Sept.23/simplified)
-- Triton Group to acquire sole control over Stromboli, holding entity of Flakt Woods. (notified Aug.19/deadline Sept.23)
-- FIH Mobile to buy from Microsoft Mobile Vietnam and other assets from Microsoft Mobile. (notified Aug.19/deadline Sept.23)
-- Valeo and Siemens to set up 50/50 joint venture. (notified Aug.19/deadline Sept.23/simplified)
SEPT 28
-- Deutsche Boerse and the London Stock Exchange plan to merge to create the world's largest exchange (notified Aug. 24/deadline Sept. 28)
-- Britain's Centrica to acquire Danish energy management company Neas Engergy (notified Aug. 24/deadline Sept. 28)
SEPT 29
-- U.S. private investment firm Lindsay Goldberg to acquire Austria-based Schur Flexibles Group, a manufacturer of flexible packaging products (notified Aug. 25/deadline Sept. 29/simplified)
OCT 24
-- U.S. rail equipment maker Wabtec Corp to acquire French peer Faiveley Transport SA (notified April 4/deadline Oct. 24/commitments offered July 25)
DEC 20
-- U.S. chemicals company Dow Chemical to merge with DuPont (notified June 22/deadline extended to Dec. 20 from Aug. 11 after the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation)
SUSPENDED
-- SOCAR, Azerbaijan's state energy company, to buy stakes in Greek natural gas grid operator DESFA from Greek natural gas utility DEPA (notified Oct. 1/deadline suspended on Jan. 21)
GUIDE TO EU MERGER PROCESS
DEADLINES:
The European Commission has 25 working days after a deal is filed for a first-stage review. It may extend that by 10 working days to 35 working days, to consider either a company's proposed remedies or an EU member state's request to handle the case.
Most mergers win approval but occasionally the Commission opens a detailed second-stage investigation for up to 90 additional working days, which it may extend to 105 working days.
SIMPLIFIED:
Under the simplified procedure, the Commission announces the clearance of uncontroversial first-stage mergers without giving any reason for its decision. Cases may be reclassified as non-simplified - that is, ordinary first-stage reviews - until they are approved.
