EU mergers and takeovers (Feb 24)

BRUSSELS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process:

APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS

-- French bank BPCE and Belgian private equity company GIMV (Brussels: GIMB.BR - news) to acquire joint control of Veolia Transport Belgium (approved Feb. 24)

NEW LISTINGS

-- French utility GDF Suez (TLO: GAZ-U.TI - news) , Omnes Capital and Predica Prevoyance Dialogue du Credit Agricole (TLO: ACA.TI - news) to acquire joint control of Futures Energies Investissements Holdings which is now solely controlled by GDF Suez (notified Feb. 20/deadline March 27/simplified)

-- Infrastructure operator Global Via Infraestructuras, which is 50 percent owned by Spanish bank Bankia (Madrid: BKIA.MC - news) , and LBEIP, which is a subsidiary of British lender Lloyds Bank to acquire joint control of Spanish hospital operator OHL Phunciona (notified Feb. 20/deadline March 27/simplified)

-- South Korean holding company Lotte to acquire joint control of coffee maker Nestle Korea from Switzerland's Nestle (VTX: NESN.VX - news) (notified Feb. 19/deadline March 26/simplified)

-- U.S. agriculture machinery maker Agco Corp and GAZ (MCX: GAZA.ME - news) , which is a unit of Rusian car maker Basic Element, to set up a joint venture (notified Feb. 18/deadline March 25/simplified)

EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES

-- 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 extended to March 14 from Feb. 28 after Crown Holdings offered concessions)

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

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)

-- 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, 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 18

-- 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)

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 23

-- Switzerland-based INEOS and Belgian chemicals company Solvay (Other OTC: SVYZY - news) to form a joint venture (notified Sept. 16/deadline extended for the third time to April 23 from March 21)

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.