EU mergers and takeovers (Oct 31)

BRUSSELS, Oct (HKSE: 3366-OL.HK - news) 31 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process:

APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS

-- Dutch paint and coatings maker Akzo Nobel (Amsterdam: AKZA.AS - news) to acquire Germany chemical company BASF's industrial coasting business (approved Oct. 28)

-- French drugmaker Sanofi (LSE: 0O59.L - news) unit Sanofi Pasteur SA to acquire sole control of some human vaccines and immunoglobulins which it now jointly owns with U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co (Swiss: MRK-USD.SW - news) (approved Oct. 28)

-- Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to acquire a 39.99 percent stake in Glencore Agriculture Ltd from mining company Glencore (Amsterdam: GX8.AS - news) (approved Oct. 28)

-- Alliance Automotive Group to acquire auto distributor FPS Distributor (approved Oct. 28)

-- French minerals company Imerys (LSE: 0NPX.L - news) to acquire alumina producer Alteo ARC and Alufin GmbH Tabularoxid from Alteo Holding SAS (approved Oct. 28)

-- U.S. laser tools and systems maker Coherent (NasdaqGS: COHR - news) to acquire laser developer and manufacturer Rofin-Sinar Technologies (approved Oct. 26)

-- Dutch staffing company Randstad to acquire U.S. peer Monster Worldwide (NYSE: MWW - news) (approved Oct. 26)

-- Private equity (LSE: 0QLS.L - news) firm Axcel IV, Danish pension fund PFA Pension and three other pension funds PKA to jointly acquire Danish ship financing company DSF (approved Oct. 26)

NEW LISTINGS

-- French group Danone (LSE: 0KFX.L - news) to acquire U.S. organic foods producer WhiteWave Foods Co (notified Oct. 26/deadline Dec (Shanghai: 600875.SS - news) . 2)

-- U.S. chemicals group Riechhold and Black Diamond Capital to acquire Italian polymers maker Polynt (Stuttgart: 2746556.SG - news) which is owned by Italian private equity group Investindustrial (notified Oct. 26/deadline Dec. 2)

-- Abu Dhabi company International Petroleum Investment Company P.J.S.C. (IPIC) and Mubadala Development Co P.J.S.C. to merge (notified Oct. 24/deadline Nov. 30/simplified)

EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES

-- Chinese state-owned company China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina) to acquire Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta (notified Sept. 23/deadline extended to March 15 from Oct. 28 after the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation)

-- German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd to merge with Kuwait-based United Arab Shipping Co (notified Oct. 3/deadline extended to Nov. 23 from Nov. 9 after the companies offered concessions)

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

NOV 4

-- French chemicals company Arkema (Paris: FR0010313833 - news) to acquire sealants and adhesives maker Den Braven (notified Sept. 28/deadline Nov. 4)

NOV 9

-- German drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim to acquire French peer Sanofi's animal health business (notified Sept. 19/deadline extended to Nov. 9 from Oct. 24 )

-- U.S. medical devices maker Abbott Laboratories (Xetra: 850103 - news) to acquire U.S. peer St Jude (notified Oct. 3/deadline Nov. 9)

NOV 11

-- Private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice to acquire medical home care equipment maker Drive Devilbiss Healthcare (notified Oct. 5/deadline Nov. 11/simplified)

NOV 15

-- Buyout firm Carlyle to acquire a minority stake in German clinic chain Schoen Klinik (notified Oct. 7/deadline Nov. 15)

NOV 16

-- Optima Bidco (Jersey) Ltd, the parent of petrol station operator Euro Garages, to acquire petrol station and convenience store operator EFR Group B.V. (notified Oct. 10/deadline Nov. 16/simplified)

-- French car parts supplier Valeo (LSE: 0NR3.L - news) to acquire German clutch maker FTE Group (notified Oct. 10/deadline Nov. 16)

NOV 17

-- Platinum Equity Group to acquire power and infrastructure management products provider Emerson Network Power Business (notified Oct. 11/Nov. 17/simplified)

-- Private equity firm Naxicap to acquire German personnel services provider TimePartner (notified Oct. 11/deadline Nov. 17/simplified)

NOV 18

-- Swiss hotel services provider Kuoni GTA to acquire hotel distribution and destination management provider MTS Globe (notified Oct. 12/deadline Nov. 18)

NOV 21

-- German supermarket chain Metro (Frankfurt: 883704 - news) to acquire French food service delivery company Colruyt France SAS (notified Oct. 13/deadline Nov. 21/simplified)

NOV 22

-- Diamond Offshore Wind Holdings, which is part of Japan's Mitsubishi Corp (LSE: 7035.L - news) , Eneco Holding NV unit Eneco Wind Belgium and Elicio subsidiary and Belgian wind farm producer ELNU to jointly acquire wind farm operator Norther NV (notified Oct. 14/deadline Nov. 22/simplified)

-- U.S. oil services company FMC Technologies (Frankfurt: 634793 - news) to merge with French oil services company Technip (Swiss: TEC.SW - news) (notified Oct. 14/deadline Nov. 22)

-- U.S. software company Microsoft (Euronext: MSF.NX - news) to acquire social network LinkedIn (Swiss: LNKD.SW - news) (notified Oct. 14/deadline Nov. 22)

-- French household equipment maker Groupe SEB to acquire German peer WMF (LSE: 0DCQ.L - news) from private equity firm KKR (notified Oct. 14/deadline Nov. 22)

NOV 23

-- French investment firm Ardian to acquire German car parts maker Weber Automotive (notified Oct. 17/deadline Nov. 23/simplified

NOV 25

-- Cinema chain AMC UK, which is a unit of U.S. company AMC (Taiwan OTC: 3585.TWO - news) Entertainment Holdings Inc, which in turn is owned by China's Dalian Wanda Group, to acquire Odeon and UCI Cinemas Holdings Ltd from Terra Firma Investments (notified Oct. 19/deadline Nov. 25/simplified)

NOV 29

-- Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and real estate developer Hammerson (Frankfurt: 876140 - news) to acquire joint control of UK shopping centre Grand Central, which is now solely owned by Hammerson (notified Oct. 21/deadline Nov. 29/simplified)

FEB 6

-- U.S. chemicals company Dow Chemical (Hanover: DCH1.HA - news) to merge with DuPont (notified June 22/deadline Feb. 6)

FEB 13

-- Deutsche Boerse (LSE: 0H3T.L - news) and the London Stock Exchange (Other OTC: LDNXF - news) plan to merge (notified Aug. 24/deadline extended to March 6 from Feb. 13 after the companies asked for more time)

FEB 23

-- German cement producers Heidelbergcement (LSE: 0MG2.L - news) and Schwenk to jointly acquire Mexican peer Cemex's Croatian unit (notified Sept. 5/deadline extended to Feb. 23 from Oct. 10 after the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation)

SUSPENDED

-- Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR 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 Foo Yun Chee)