EU mergers and takeovers (Feb 13)
BRUSSELS, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process:
APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS
-- Qatar Petroleum International, Greek construction company GEK Terna (Frankfurt: A0B6AU - news) and French gas and power utility GDF Suez (TLO: GAZ-U.TI - news) to acquire joint control of Greek power plant operator Heron II which is now jointly controlled by GEK Terna and GDF Suez (approved Feb. 13)
NEW LISTINGS
-- British pension fund Universities Superannuation Scheme Limited (USS) to acquire 49.9 percent of British air traffic controller The Airline Group Ltd whose shareholders are British Airways, Easyjet (Other OTC: ESYJY - news) and Monarch Airlines (notified Feb. 11/deadliine March 18)
EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES
None
FIRST (Other OTC: FSTC - news) -STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
FEB 18
-- Cintra Infraestructuras, Abertis Autopistas Espana and Itinere Infraestructuras to set up joint venture to market and distribute electronic equipment to pay on Spanish toll motorways (notified Jan. 14/deadline Feb. 18)
FEB 26
-- French bank BPCE and Belgian private equity company GIMV (Brussels: GIMB.BR - news) to acquire joint control of Veolia Transport Belgium (notified Jan. 22/deadline Feb. 26/simplified)
FEB 28
-- Investment fund Apollo Group and Spanish financial services fund Fondo de Garantia de Depositos de Entidades de Credito to acquire joint control of air parts maker Synergy (BSE: SYNERGY.BO - news) (notified Jan. 24/deadline Feb. 28/simplified)
-- U.S. food packager Crown Holdings (NYSE: CCK - news) to buy Spanish food-can maker Mivisa Envases from investment funds the Blackstone Group, N+1 Mercapital and management (notified Jan. 24/deadline Feb. 28)
-- Canadian investment fund Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to acquire joint control of Luxembourg-based property developer Parque Principado from real estate developer Intu (LSE: INTU.L - news) Holding S.a.r.l (notified Jan. 24/deadline Feb. 28/simplified)
MARCH 4
-- Publisher Aller Media AB and Swedish publisher Egmont Holding AB to acquire joint control of online publisher Mediafy, which is now controlled by publisher Bonnier Tidskrijfter (notified Jan. 28/deadline March 4)
MARCH 5
-- U.S. chemical maker Huntsman Corp to acquire U.S. peer Rockwood Holdings (Frankfurt: R6H.F - news) 's titanium dioxide pigments business (notified Jan. 29/deadline March 5)
MARCH 6
-- Russian oil producer Lukoil (MCX: LKOH.ME - news) to acquire Italian energy company ISAB Energy S.r.l and ISAB Energy Services S.r.l. (notified Jan. 30/deadline March 6/simplified)
MARCH 7
-- U.S. fuel products provider World Fuel Services Corp (NYSE: INT - news) to buy British petroleum products distributor Watson Petroleum Ltd (notified Jan. 31/deadline March 7/simplified)
MARCH 14
-- Spanish builder Sacyr (Stuttgart: 853624 - news) and Lloyds Bank unit LBEIP to acquire joint control of hospital operator HC (notified Feb. 7/deadline March 14/simplified)
-- Asset management company Brookfield and Japanese shipper Mitsui O.S.K. Lines to acquire joint control of U.S. port operator International Transportation Inc, which is now solely controlled by Mitsui (notified Feb. 7/deadline March 14/simplified)
-- French insurer Predica, which is a subsidiary of French bank Credit Agricole (TLO: ACA.TI - news) , and Aviva France to acquire joint control of a French property developer (notified Feb. 7/deadline March 14/simplified)
MARCH 17
-- Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) 's Kendrick Investments Ltd to take sole control of Irish oil company Topaz Energy Group and Irish investment fund Resource Property Investment Fund Plc (notified Feb. 10/deadline March 17/simplified)
-- U.S. card payment services company WEX (NYSE: WEX - news) and British peer Radius to acquire joint control of ExxonMobil's European fuel card buisness (notified Feb. 10/deadline March 17/simplified)
MARCH 21
-- Switzerland-based INEOS and Belgian chemicals company Solvay (Other OTC: SVYZY - news) to form a joint venture (notified Sept. 16/deadline extended for the second time to March 21 from Nov. 5 after the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation)
MARCH 31
-- Swiss cement maker Holcim (Other OTC: HCMLF - news) to buy some of Mexican peer Cemex's assets in Europe . (notified Sept. 3/deadline extended for the second time to May 2 from March 31)
APRIL 24
-- Hutchison 3G UK to acquire Telefonica Ireland, a unit of Spanish telecoms provider Telefonica (Madrid: TEF.MC - news) (notified Oct. 1/deadline extended to April 24 from March 24)
MAY 14
-- Spanish telecoms provider Telefonica to buy Dutch peer KPN (Amsterdam: KPN.AS - news) 's German unit (notified Oct. 31/Commission opened in-depth probe on Dec. 20, new deadline May 14)
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.