BRUSSELS, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under
review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU
merger process:
APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS
-- Denmark's DSV, a global freight and logistics firm, buys
UTi Worldwide Inc. of the British Virgin Islands. (approved
Dec. 23, simplified.)
-- Investment firms Intermediate Capital Group ('ICG') of
Britain and capiton AG of Germany acquire Prefere Resins Holding
GmbH, a manufacturer of phenolic and amino resins for the
construction and insulation industries. (approved Dec. 23,
simplified)
-- Private investment company KKCG of Cyprus and Taiwanese
technology company Hon Hai Precision Industry Co 2317.TW ,
which is also known as Foxconn, to set up a joint venture in the
Czech Republic (approved Dec. 23, simplified)
-- Banking group Goldman Sachs (N:GS) and British charitable
foundation The Wellcome Trust to form a joint venture (approved
Dec. 23, simplified)
-- French company Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations to
acquire 49.9 percent stakes in three wind and solar power
companies from French wind and solar farm operator La Compagnie
du Vent (approved Dec. 23, simplified)
NEW LISTINGS
-- Investment fund CVC Capital Partners Ltd CVC.UL to buy
40 percent stake in motorway services provider Moto with UK
private sector pension fund USS (notified Dec. 18/deadline Feb.
2/simplified)
-- Canada's Alimentation Couche Tard to acquire Topaz Energy
Group Limited (notified Dec. 18/deadline Feb. 2/simplified)
-- Spain's Red Electrica Corporacion's Chilean subsidiary
and Engie ENGIE.PA to take joint control of TEN (notified Dec.
18/deadline Feb. 2/simplified)
-- Dutch provider of temporary employment services Randstad
RAND.AS to acquire Sweden's Proffice PROEb.ST (notified Dec.
18/deadline Feb. 2/simplified)
-- Canadian fund CDPQ to acquire 30 percent stake in
Bombardier's BBDb.TO rail transportation business for $1.5
billion (notified Dec. 17/deadline Feb. 1)
EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES
None
FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
DEC 23
-- Novartis to buy remaining rights to Ofatumumab from
Britain's GlaxoSmithKline GSK.L (notified Nov. 18/deadline
Dec. 23)
JAN 6
-- Swedish private equity firm Ratos AB RATOb.ST and
Finnish insurer Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company to
jointly acquire Swedish real estate developer Serena Properties
AB (notified Nov. 23/deadline Jan. 6/simplified)
JAN 11
-- Italian state-owned investment fund Fondon Strategico
Italiano to acquire a stake in Italian oil contractor Saipem
SPMI.MI from state-controlled oil company Eni ENI.MI
(notified Nov. 26/deadline Jan. 11/simplified)
-- Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corp 8053.T and
Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp SUMFGI.UL to acquire
joint control of Indonesian motorcycle financing company PT
Summit Oto Finance and Indonesian car financing company PT Oto
Multiartha, which are now solely controlled by Sumitomo Corp
(notified Nov. 26/deadline Jan. 11/simplified)
JAN 12
-- U.S. conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (N:BRKa) BRKa.N to acquire
U.S. aerospace parts maker Precision Castparts (N:PCP) PCP.N (notified
Nov. 27/deadline Jan. 12)
-- Oilfield services provider Halliburton (N:HAL) HAL.N to buy
rival Baker Hughes (N:BHI) BHI.N in a stock and cash transaction
(notified Nov. 27/deadline Jan. 12)
JAN 13
-- U.S. packages delivery company FedEx (N:FDX) FDX.N to acquire
Dutch peer TNT TNTE.AS (notified July /deadline extended to
Jan. 13 from Dec. 8 after the companies asked for more time)
-- U.S. private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners and
investment bank Goldman Sachs GS.N to jointly acquire U.S.
facility management company GCA Service Group from Blackstone (N:BX)
Group BX.N (notified Nov. 30/deadline Jan. 13/simplified)
JAN 14
-- Private equity firms Triton and KKR KKR.N to jointly
set up a joint venture (notified Dec. 1/deadline Jan.
14/simplified)
-- TDR Capital investment funds taking joint control of
British fuel station operator Euro Garages (notified Dec.
1/deadline Jan. 14)
JAN 19
-- French IT services firm Atos ATOS.PA to acquire
communications firm Unify (notified Dec 4/deadline Jan.
19/simplified)
-- Saudi Aramco SDABO.UL to acquire Lanxess 's LXSG.DE 50
percent stake in the world's largest synthetic rubber business
(notified Dec 4/deadline Jan. 19/simplified)
-- Panalpina PWTN.S to acquire majority of shares in
Airflo, an airfreight forwarder specialising in
perishables.(notified Dec 4/deadline Jan. 19/simplified)
-- Spanish travel technology company Amadeus AMA.MC to
acquire airline technology services Navitaire which is a
subsidiary of Accenture Plc ACN.N (notified Dec. 4/deadline
Jan. 19)
-- German industrial products maker Freudenberg and Japanese
chemical industry group Toray Industries 3402.T to acquire
join control of industrial material maker Japan Vilene Co
(notified Dec. 4/deadline Jan. 19/simplified)
JAN 20
-- Creation of a joint venture between Lov Group Invest SAS
and De Agostini for the production and distribution of content
for television and multimedia platforms (notified Dec 7/deadline
Jan. 20)
JAN 21
-- Lone Star Fund IX to acquire British fuel service station
operator MRH Ltd (notified Dec. 8/deadline Jan. 21/simplified)
JAN 22
-- Investment bank Goldman Sachs GS.N and private equity
firm Astorg Asset Management to jointly acquire French drugmaker
HRA Pharma IPO-LABOR.PA (notified Dec. 9/deadline Jan.
22/simplified)
-- Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 7011.T to acquire
Japanese forklift maker Unicarriers Holdings (notified Dec.
9/deadline Jan. 22/simplified)
-- U.S. drinks can maker Ball Corp (N:BLL) BLL.N to acquire
British rival Rexam Plc REX.L (notified June 15/deadline
extended for the third time to Jan 22 from Dec. 23 after
companies submitted commitments)
JAN 25
-- German wind turbine maker Nordex NDXG.DE to acquire
Spanish firm Acciona's ANA.MC wind power business (notified
Dec. 10/deadline Jan. 25/simplified)
JAN 26
-- Belgian insurer Ageas AGES.BR to acquire French insurer
Axa 's AXAF.PA Portuguese operations (notified Dec. 11/deadline
Jan. 26/simplified)
JAN 29
-- Steelmaker ArcelorMittal ISPA.AS and a group made up of
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria BBVA.MC , Banco de Sabadell
SABE.MC , Banco Santander SAN.MC , Banco Popular Espanol
POP.MC , Bankia BKIA.MC , Caixabank CABK.MC , Bankinter
caja BKT.MC , Caja Rural de Navarra CARUN.UL and Kutxabank
BKGDT.UL to jointly acquire steel tube maker Grupo Condesa
(notified Dec. 16/deadline Jan. 29)
MARCH 3
-- Cable telecoms company Liberty Global's LBTYA.O Belgian
subsidiary Telenet TNET.BR to buy mobile network operator Base
from Dutch group KPN KPN.AS (notified Aug. 17/deadline
extended to March 17 from March 3)
MARCH 9
-- U.S. office supplier Staples SPLS.O to acquire U.S.
rival Office Depot ODP.O (notified Aug. 21/deadline extended
for the third time to March 9 from March 2 after the companies
asked for more time)
APRIL 22
-- Hutchison Whampoa 0001.HK to acquire Telefonica 's
TEF.MC O2 UK subsidiary (notified Sept. 11/deadline extended
for the fifth time to April 22 from April 18)
SUSPENDED
-- 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 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.