EU mergers and takeovers (Aug 29)

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 (Other OTC: FSTC - news) -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 (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) .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 (Hamburg: 3771399.HM - news) '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 (Hanover: E2F.HA - news) to acquire German gas grid Thyssengas (notified Aug. 11/deadline Sept. 16)

SEPT 19

--French oil and gas major Total (LSE: 524773.L - news) to take over Lampiris, Belgium's third-largest natural gas and renewable power vendor (notified Aug. 12/deadline Sept. 19)

--Canon Inc (Other OTC: CAJFF - news) to acquire Toshiba Corp (Swiss: TOSH.SW - news) '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 (NYSE: CSC - news) 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 (Shenzhen: 300258.SZ - news) 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 (NYSE: AGN - news) 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 (LSE: 0NR3.L - news) and Siemens (BSE: SIEMENS4.BO - news) to set up 50/50 joint venture. (notified Aug.19/deadline Sept.23/simplified)

SEPT 28

-- Deutsche Boerse (LSE: 0H3T.L - news) and the London Stock Exchange (Other OTC: LDNXF - news) plan to merge to create the world's largest exchange (notified Aug. 24/deadline Sept. 28)

-- Britain's Centrica (LSE: CNA.L - news) 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 (Shenzhen: 000069.SZ - news) 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 (Shanghai: 600875.SS - news) 20

-- U.S. chemicals company Dow Chemical (Hanover: DCH1.HA - news) 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. (Compiled by Brussels Newsroom)