EU mergers and takeovers (Sept 27)
BRUSSELS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process:
APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS
-- Hong Kong's CK Infrastructure Holdings Ltd and Cheung Kong Property Holdings Ltd to indirectly acquire joint control of Luxembourg-based heat and water sub-metering company the ista group (approved Sept. 21)
NEW LISTINGS
-- British company CRH plc (EUREX: 558474.EX - news) to acquire XI (RMAT) Holdings GmbH, the German holding company of limestone producer Fels-Werke GmbH which is part of Xella International (notified Sept. 25/deadline Oct (Shenzhen: 000069.SZ - news) . 30)
-- French energy company Engie (LSE: 0LD0.L - news) and Caisse des Depots et Consignations to acquire joint control of a wind power producer (notified Sept. 26/deadline Oct. 31/simplified)
-- German chemicals company Evonik and Dutch peer DSM to set up a joint venture (notified Sept. 22/deadline Oct. 27/simplified)
EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES
None
FIRST (Other OTC: FSTC - news) -STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
SEPT 29
-- Irish agribusiness company ABP Food Group to acquire an additional stake in Linden Foods Limited, active in the slaughtering and processing of beef and ovine animals (notified Aug. 25/deadline Sept. 29)
-- 3M to buy Johnson Controls' safety gear unit Scott Safety (notified Aug. 25/deadline Sept. 29)
OCT 4
-- Private equity (IOB: 0QLS.IL - news) firm KKR and U.S. pharmaceutical retailer Walgreens Boots Alliance (Frankfurt: W8A.F - news) to acquire indirectly joint control of U.S. pharmaceutical services provider PharMerica (notified Aug. 30/deadline Oct. 4/simplified)
-- U.S. medical equipment supplier Becton Dickinson and Co to acquire U.S. peer C R Bard Inc (notified Aug. 30/deadline Oct. 4)
OCT 5
-- Australian investment firm IFM Investors Pty Ltd and Singapore shipping terminal operator PSA International Pte Ltd to jointly acquire Turkish terminal operator Mersin (notified Aug. 31/deadline Oct. 5/simplified)
OCT 6
-- Japanese healthcare company Konica Minolta (Other OTC: KNCAF - news) to acquire U.S. diagnostics company Ambry Genetics (notified Sept. 1/deadline Oct. 6/simplified)
OCT 11
-- French banks Societe Generale (Swiss: 519928.SW - news) and BNP Paribas (LSE: 0HB5.L - news) to acquire joint control of German office building owner Horizon Development GmbH (notified Sept. 6/deadline Oct. 11/simplified)
OCT 12
-- Dutch property developer Unibail Rodamco and German real estate fund Commerz Real Investmentgeseelschaft to jointly acquire Czech shopping centre owner CGI Metropole (notified Sept. 7/deadline Oct. 12/simplified)
OCT 13
-- Bermuda-headquartered reinsurer Axis Capital Holdings Ltd to acquire UK insurer Novae (notified Sept 13/deadline Oct 18/simplified)
-- Mirova Core Infrastructure, COMSA and Dutch fund manager PGGM to acquire joint control of Mircom Concesiones de Infraestructuras (notified Sept. 8/deadline Oct. 13/simplified)
-- Italian infrastructure group Atlantia (LSE: 0I2R.L - news) to acquire Spanish rival Abertis (Amsterdam: IF6.AS - news) (notified Sept. 8/deadline Oct. 13)
-- Anglo-Dutch oil group Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: 0LN9.L - news) to acquire indirect joint control of natural gas producer Crestwood Permian Basin LLC which is now solely controlled by Crestwood Permian Basin Holdings (notified Sept. 8/deadline Oct. 13/simplified)
-- Private equity firms Blackstone (NYSE: BX - news) , Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and Cambourne Life Investment Pte Ltd to acquire joint control of UK insurer Rothesay Ho1dCo UK Ltd (notified Sept. 8/deadline Oct. 13/simplified)
OCT 16
-- Swiss food company Nestle (Swiss: NESN.VX - news) to acquire sole control of Beverage Partners Worldwide, a joint venture between Nestle and the Coca-Cola Co (notified Oct. 11/deadline Oct. 16)
-- Private equity firm Lone Star to acquire Spanish insulation materials maker Ursa Insulation (notified Sept. 11/deadline Oct. 16/simplified)
OCT 17
-- U.S. specialty material company Celanese and private equity firm Blackstone to combine their cellulose acetate tow units under a new joint venture (notified Sept. 9/deadline Oct. 17)
-- Private equity firm Advent to acquire communications services company Williams Lea (notified Sept. 12/deadline Oct. 17/simplified)
OCT 18
-- Bermuda-headquartered reinsurer Axis Capital Holdings Ltd to acquire UK insurer Novae (notified Sept. 13/deadline Oct. 18/simplified)
-- German insurer Allianz (Swiss: ALV-EUR.SW - news) to acquire UK financial services group Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Ltd's general insurance businesses (notified Sept. 13/deadline Oct. 18/simplified)
OCT 20
-- U.S. life sciences company Avantor to acquire U.S. lab supplies company VWR (notified Sept. 15/deadline Oct. 20)
-- U.S. fashion group Michael Kors (Swiss: KORS.SW - news) to acquire British shoemaker Jimmy Choo (LSE: CHOO.L - news) (notified Sept. 15/deadline Oct. 20/simplified)
-- U.S. company AES Corp and German conglomerate Siemens (BSE: SIEMENS.BO - news) to acquire joint control of a joint venture (notified Sept. 15/deadline Oct. 20/simplified)
OCT 23
-- French carmaker Renault (LSE: 0NQF.L - news) to acquire a 29 percent stake in electric car smart charging services provider Jedlix, which is now jointly controlled by Dutch renewable energy company Eneco Groep (notified Sept. 18/deadline Oct. 23/simplified)
-- Dutch warehouse owner Borealis European Holdings B.V., Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board and SSE (LSE: SSE.L - news) to acquire joint control of UK energy meter company Maple (notified Sept. 18/deadline Oct. 23/simplified)
-- French carmaker Renault to acquire a 25 percent stake in electric car charging services Jedlix (notified Sept. 18/deadline Oct. 23/simplified)
OCT 24
-- U.S. company Platinum Equity Group to acquire UK aerospace distributor Pattonair Holdings Ltd (notified Sept. 19/deadline Oct. 24/simplified)
-- UK energy company Greenergy to acquire fuel supplier Inver Energy Ltd (notified Sept. 19/deadline Oct. 24)
OCT 25
-- Jacobs Engineering Group to acquire technical consulting services provider CH2M Hill Companies (notified Sept. 20/deadline Oct. 25/simplified)
-- Private equity firm Warburg Pincus and carmaker Tata Motors (BSE: TATAMOTORS.BO - news) to jointly acquire Tata Technologies (notified Sept. 20/deadline Oct. 25/simplified)
OCT 26
-- Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal (LSE: 0NSF.L - news) to acquire Italian steel plant (notified Sept. 21/deadline Oct. 26)
-- French car parts maker Valeo (LSE: 0RH5.L - news) to acquire German clutch maker FTE Automotive(notified Sept. 7/deadline Oct. 26/commitments submitted Sept. 7)
JAN 22
-- German industrial group Bayer (IOB: 0P6S.IL - news) to acquire U.S. seeds company Monsanto (Hamburg: 1132157.HM - news) (notified June 30/deadline extended to Jan. 22 from Jan. 8 after the companies asked for more time)
FEB 12
-- Italian eyewear maker Luxottica (Milan: LUX.MI - news) and French lens manufacturer Essilor to merge (notified Aug. 22/deadline extended to Feb. 12 from Sept. 26 after the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation)
DEADLINE SUSPENDED
-- U.S. smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm (Swiss: QCOM-USD.SW - news) to acquire Dutch company NXP Semiconductors NV (NasdaqGS: NXPI - news) (notified April 28/deadline suspended from Aug. 17)
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. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee)