EU mergers and takeovers (Dec 23)

BRUSSELS, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process:

APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS

-- Denmark's DSV (Copenhagen: DSV.CO - news) , a global freight and logistics firm, buys UTi Worldwide Inc (NasdaqGS: UTIW - news) . of the British Virgin Islands. (approved Dec. 23, simplified.)

-- Investment firms Intermediate Capital Group ('ICG (LSE: 138026.L - news) ') of Britain and capiton AG of Germany acquire Prefere Resins Holding GmbH, a manufacturer of phenolic and amino resins for the construction and insulation industries. (approved Dec. 23, simplified)

-- Private investment company KKCG of Cyprus and Taiwanese technology company Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, which is also known as Foxconn, to set up a joint venture in the Czech Republic (approved Dec. 23, simplified)

-- Banking group Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS-PB - news) and British charitable foundation The Wellcome Trust to form a joint venture (approved Dec. 23, simplified)

-- French company Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations to acquire 49.9 percent stakes in three wind and solar power companies from French wind and solar farm operator La Compagnie du Vent (approved Dec. 23, simplified)

NEW LISTINGS

-- Investment fund CVC Capital Partners Ltd to buy 40 percent stake in motorway services provider Moto with UK private sector pension fund USS (notified Dec. 18/deadline Feb. 2/simplified)

-- Canada's Alimentation Couche Tard to acquire Topaz Energy Group Limited (notified Dec. 18/deadline Feb. 2/simplified)

-- Spain's Red Electrica Corporacion's Chilean subsidiary and Engie (Other OTC: ENGIY - news) to take joint control of TEN (notified Dec. 18/deadline Feb. 2/simplified)

-- Dutch provider of temporary employment services Randstad to acquire Sweden's Proffice (notified Dec. 18/deadline Feb. 2/simplified)

-- Canadian fund CDPQ to acquire 30 percent stake in Bombardier (Toronto: BBD-A.TO - news) 's rail transportation business for $1.5 billion (notified Dec. 17/deadline Feb. 1)

EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES

None

FIRST (Other OTC: FSTC - news) -STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE

DEC 23

-- Novartis (LSE: 0QLR.L - news) to buy remaining rights to Ofatumumab from Britain's GlaxoSmithKline (Amsterdam: GO8.AS - news) (notified Nov. 18/deadline Dec. 23)

JAN 6

-- Swedish private equity firm Ratos AB (Stockholm: RATO-A.ST - news) and Finnish insurer Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company to jointly acquire Swedish real estate developer Serena Properties AB (notified Nov. 23/deadline Jan. 6/simplified)

JAN 11

-- Italian state-owned investment fund Fondon Strategico Italiano to acquire a stake in Italian oil contractor Saipem (Amsterdam: QG6.AS - news) from state-controlled oil company Eni (Swiss: ENI.SW - news) (notified Nov. 26/deadline Jan. 11/simplified)

-- Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corp and Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp to acquire joint control of Indonesian motorcycle financing company PT Summit Oto Finance and Indonesian car financing company PT Oto Multiartha, which are now solely controlled by Sumitomo Corp (notified Nov. 26/deadline Jan. 11/simplified)

JAN 12

-- U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (Sao Paolo: BERK34F.SA - news) to acquire U.S. aerospace parts maker Precision Castparts (NYSE: PCP - news) (notified Nov. 27/deadline Jan. 12)

-- Oilfield services provider Halliburton (Hanover: HAL.HA - news) to buy rival Baker Hughes in a stock and cash transaction (notified Nov. 27/deadline Jan. 12)

JAN 13

-- U.S. packages delivery company FedEx (Swiss: FDX.SW - news) to acquire Dutch peer TNT (notified July /deadline extended to Jan. 13 from Dec. 8 after the companies asked for more time)

-- U.S. private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners and investment bank Goldman Sachs to jointly acquire U.S. facility management company GCA Service Group from Blackstone (NYSE: BX - news) Group (notified Nov. 30/deadline Jan. 13/simplified)

JAN 14

-- Private equity firms Triton and KKR to jointly set up a joint venture (notified Dec. 1/deadline Jan. 14/simplified)

-- TDR Capital investment funds taking joint control of British fuel station operator Euro Garages (notified Dec. 1/deadline Jan. 14)

JAN 19

-- French IT services firm Atos (Paris: FR0000051732 - news) to acquire communications firm Unify (notified Dec 4/deadline Jan. 19/simplified)

-- Saudi Aramco to acquire Lanxess (Other OTC: LNXSF - news) 's 50 percent stake in the world's largest synthetic rubber business (notified Dec 4/deadline Jan. 19/simplified)

-- Panalpina to acquire majority of shares in Airflo, an airfreight forwarder specialising in perishables.(notified Dec 4/deadline Jan. 19/simplified)

-- Spanish travel technology company Amadeus to acquire airline technology services Navitaire which is a subsidiary of Accenture Plc (NYSE: ACN - news) (notified Dec. 4/deadline Jan. 19)

-- German industrial products maker Freudenberg and Japanese chemical industry group Toray Industries (Other OTC: TRYIF - news) to acquire join control of industrial material maker Japan Vilene Co (notified Dec. 4/deadline Jan. 19/simplified)

JAN 20

-- Creation of a joint venture between Lov Group Invest SAS and De Agostini for the production and distribution of content for television and multimedia platforms (notified Dec 7/deadline Jan. 20)

JAN 21

-- Lone Star Fund IX to acquire British fuel service station operator MRH Ltd (notified Dec. 8/deadline Jan. 21/simplified)

JAN 22

-- Investment bank Goldman Sachs and private equity firm Astorg Asset Management to jointly acquire French drugmaker HRA Pharma (IPO-LABOR.PA) (notified Dec. 9/deadline Jan. 22/simplified)

-- Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Other OTC: MHVYF - news) to acquire Japanese forklift maker Unicarriers Holdings (notified Dec. 9/deadline Jan. 22/simplified)

-- U.S. drinks can maker Ball Corp (NYSE: BLL - news) to acquire British rival Rexam Plc (LSE: REX.L - news) (notified June 15/deadline extended for the third time to Jan 22 from Dec. 23 after companies submitted commitments)

JAN 25

-- German wind turbine maker Nordex (Swiss: NDX1.SW - news) to acquire Spanish firm Acciona (Amsterdam: AN6.AS - news) 's wind power business (notified Dec. 10/deadline Jan. 25/simplified)

JAN 26

-- Belgian insurer Ageas (Other OTC: AGESF - news) to acquire French insurer Axa (Paris: FR0000120628 - news) 's Portuguese operations (notified Dec. 11/deadline Jan. 26/simplified)

JAN 29

-- Steelmaker ArcelorMittal and a group made up of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Banco de Sabadell (Other OTC: BNDSF - news) , Banco Santander (Amsterdam: 817651.AS - news) , Banco Popular Espanol , Bankia (Amsterdam: QU8.AS - news) , Caixabank (Amsterdam: CB6.AS - news) , Bankinter (Amsterdam: BI6.AS - news) caja, Caja Rural de Navarra and Kutxabank to jointly acquire steel tube maker Grupo Condesa (notified Dec. 16/deadline Jan. 29)

MARCH 3

-- Cable telecoms company Liberty Global (NasdaqGS: LBTYA - news) 's Belgian subsidiary Telenet (Other OTC: TLGHY - news) to buy mobile network operator Base from Dutch group KPN (notified Aug. 17/deadline extended to March 17 from March 3)

MARCH 9

-- U.S. office supplier Staples (NasdaqGS: SPLS - news) to acquire U.S. rival Office Depot (NasdaqGS: ODP - news) (notified Aug. 21/deadline extended for the third time to March 9 from March 2 after the companies asked for more time)

APRIL (LSE: 0N69.L - news) 22

-- Hutchison Whampoa to acquire Telefonica (Amsterdam: TA6.AS - news) 's O2 UK subsidiary (notified Sept. 11/deadline extended for the fifth time to April 22 from April 18)

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 (HKSE: 3366-OL.HK - news) . 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 (Other OTC: ITGL - news) 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)