EU mergers and takeovers (Oct 3)
BRUSSELS, Oct 3 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process:
APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS
-- U.S. fruit firm Chiquita Brands and Irish rival Fyffes (Other OTC: FYFFF - news) to merge (approved Oct. 3)
-- U.S. social network Facebook (NasdaqGS: FB - news) to buy mobile messaging startup WhatsApp (approved Oct. 3)
-- U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly to acquire Swiss peer Novartis (Xetra: 904278 - news) 's animal health business (approved Oct. 3)
NEW LISTINGS
None
EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES
-- U.S. orthopaedic products maker Zimmer Holdings (NYSE: ZMH - news) to acquire rival Biomet Inc (notified Aug. 29/deadline extended to Feb. 16 from Oct. 3 after the Commission opens an in-depth probe)
FIRST (Other OTC: FSTC - news) -STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
OCT 8
-- Private equity firm the Blackstone Group to acquire life insurer Lombard (notified Sept. 3/deadline Oct. 8/simplified)
OCT 9
-- U.S. film and TV company 21st Century Fox and private investment firm Apollo Management to acquire joint control of a joint venture (notified Sept. 4/deadline Oct. 9)
-- Dubai's Dnata, part of the Emirates Group, to buy Britain's Stella Travel Services UK Ltd, which is jointly owned by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners and Swiss bank UBS AG (NYSEArca: FBGX - news) (notified Sept. 4/Oct. 9/simplified)
OCT 13
-- U.S. household appliances maker Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR - news) to buy a 60 percent stake in Italian peer Indesit (notified Sept. 8/deadline Oct. 13)
OCT 14
-- Petrochemicals group Ineos to buy BASF's 50 percent stake in German plastics maker Styrolution (notified Sept. 9/deadline Oct. 14/simplified)
OCT 15
-- Private equity firm Advent International to buy aluminium producer Corialis (notified Sept. 10/deadline Oct. 15/simplified)
OCT 16
-- U.S. drugmaker AbbVie (Xetra: 4AB.DE - news) to acquire Irish peer Shire Plc (Xetra: S7E.DE - news) (notified Sept. 11/deadline Oct. 16)
-- U.S. aluminium group Alcoa (NYSE: AA - news) to buy parts aerospace company Firth Rixson from private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners (notified Sept. 11/deadline Oct. 16)
OCT 17
-- Private equity firm EQT Infrastructure and Spanish building manager Onmomutua to acquire joint control of Spanish car operator Acvil, which is now solely controlled by EQT (notified Sept. 12/deadline Oct. 17/simplified)
OCT 20
-- Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Other OTC: MHVYF - news) and German engineering group Siemens to set up a joint venture (notified Sept. 15/deadline Oct. 20)
OCT 23
-- OFI InfraVia, GDF Suez and PensionDanmark Holding to acquire joint control of gas pipeline operator Noordgastransport B.V. (notified Sept. 18/deadline Oct. 23/simplified)
-- French insurer Axa (Paris: FR0000120628 - news) and British property developer Hammerson plc (Other OTC: HMSNF - news) to acquire joint control of a British property portfolio which is now jointly owned by Hammerson and Land Securities Group plc (notified Sept. 18/deadline Oct. 23/simplified)
OCT 30
-- Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB - news) to acquire digital cinema equipment maker Doremi Highlands (notified Sept. 25/deadline Oct. 30)
OCT 31
-- Mobile operator Vodafone to form joint venture with Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) 's Electricity Supply Board to build fibre broadband network across country (notified Sept. 26/deadline Oct. 31)
-- Private equity fund Clayton, Dubilier & Rice to acquire helicopter operator CHC Group (NYSE: HELI - news) (notified Sept. 26/deadline Oct. 31/simplified)
NOV 3
-- Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways to acquire 49 percent stake in Italian airline Alitalia (notified Sept. 29/deadline Nov. 3)
-- U.S. cable company Liberty Global (NasdaqGS: LBTYA - news) to acquire Dutch peer Ziggo (notified March 14/deadline extended to Nov. 3 after Liberty Global provided further details of concessions)
NOV 4
-- PCCR USA, which is part of the Polynt group to acquire all of French oil company Total'S CCP composites business (notified Oct. 1/deadline Nov. 4)
-- French construction company Vinci (Paris: FR0000125486 - news) to acquire technology company Imtech ICT Group from Dutch engineer Royal Imtech Group (notified Oct. 1/deadline Nov. 4/simplified)
NOV 5
-- 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 Nov. 5)
-- Germany company Robert Bosch to acquire the remaining 50 percent of German car parts maker ZF Friedrichshafen's steering systems business to (notified Oct. 1/deadline Nov. 5/simplified)
FEB 3
-- Belgian telecoms group Telenet (Other OTC: TLGHF - news) to acquire 50 percent stake in Belgian broadcasting company De Vijver Media (notified Aug. 18/deadline extended to Feb. 5 from Sept. 22 after the European Commission opened an in-depth probe)
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. (Editing by Foo Yun Chee)