BRUSSELS, July 30 (Reuters) - The following are mergersunder review by the European Commission and a brief guide to theEU merger process:
APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS
-- Investment fund Apollo Management L.P. to acquireSaint-Gobain Emballage, Saint Gobain Vicasa S.A., Saint GobainVidros and Obale, with the group known as Verallia (approvedJuly 30)
-- U.S. drugmaker Mylan to acquire U.S. peer Perrigo (approved July 29)
NEW LISTINGS
-- Anglo-Dutch oil major Royal Dutch Shell toacquire BG Group (notified July 29/deadline Sept. 2)
-- South African paper maker Mondi toacquire some assets from portfolio company Walki (notified July29/deadline Sept. 2)
-- British engineering company GKN to acquire Dutchcompany Fokker Technologies (notified July 28/deadline Sept.1/simplified)
-- British support services provider DCC Group toacquire French gas company Butagaz from Anglo Dutch oil companyRoyal Dutch Shell (notified July 28/deadline Sept.1/simplified)
-- Archer Daniels Midland Co to acquire starchproducer Eaststarch (notified July 28/deadline Sept.1/simplified)
EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES
None
FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
AUG 4
-- U.S. drugmaker Pfizer to acquire U.S. peerHospira (notified June 15/deadline extended to Aug. 4from July 20 after Pfizer offered concessions)
AUG 5
-- Asset manager BlackRock and private equity firm FirstReserve Management to acquire joint control of a joint venturebuilding a gas pipeline in Mexico, in which GDF Suez holds astake (notified June 30/deadline Aug. 5/simplified)
-- Spanish cars part maker Grupo Antolin toacquire auto parts maker Magna Interiors from Canadian car partsmaker Magna International Inc (notified June 30/deadlineAug. 5)
AUG 6
-- Swiss travel retailer Dufry to acquire Italianpeer World Duty Free (notified July 1/deadline Aug 6)
AUG 7
-- Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners to acquirebeauty products retailer Douglas Group (notified July 2/deadlineAug. 7/simplified)
-- German insurer Axa Konzern and Compugroup Medical MobileDTL to set up a joint venture (notified July2/deadline Aug. 7/simplified)
AUG 10
-- Private equity firm Lone Star Fund IX to acquire textilefloor coverings producer Balta (notified July 3/deadline Aug.10/simplified)
AUG 13
-- Swiss bakery products maker Aryzta to acquire49 percent of frozen food retailer Picard Groupe (notified July8/deadline Aug. 13)
AUG 14
-- NH Hotel Group SA and HNA Hospitality Group CoLtd to set up a joint venture which will operate mainly in China(notified July 9/deadline Aug. 14/simplified)
AUG 17
-- Investment fund Canada Pension Plan Investment Board(CPPIB) and real estate investment trust Intu Holding S.a.r.l.to indirectly acquire a joint controlling stake in Spanishshopping mall Puerto Venecia Investments SOCIMI S.A. (notifiedJuly 10/deadline Aug. 17/simplified)
-- Private equity firm CVC to acquire theatreproducer Stage Entertainment (notified July 10/deadline Aug.17/simplified)
-- Spanish energy company Repsol and Mexicanindustrial group Grupo Kuo to expand their jointventure Dynasol (notified July 10/deadline Aug. 17/simplified)
-- Investment bank Goldman Sachs and Altor to jointlyacquire soy-based protein solutions maker Hamlet Protein(notified July 10/deadline Aug. 17)
AUG 18
-- U.S. staffing company ManpowerGroup Inc toacquire German peer 7S Group (notified July 13/deadline Aug.18/simplified)
AUG 19
-- French companies Groupe In Vivo and Groupe Scael to setup a joint venture (notified July 14/deadline Aug.19/simplified)
-- Fuel supplier World Fuel Services Corp to acquirebusinesses divested by BP Plc (notified July 14/deadlineAug. 19/simplified)
AUG 20
-- Dutch building materials distributor PontMeyer, which ispart of Deli Building Supplies B.V., to acquire Dutch holdingcompany DBS (notified July 15/deadline Aug. 20)
AUG 24
-- Volkswagen Financial Services, which is part of Germancarmaker Volkswagen, and Spanish lender Banco BilbaoVizcaya Argentaria to set up a joint venture calledVolkswagen Credit Compania Financiera (notified July17/deadliine Aug. 24/simplified)
-- Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP to acquire onlineretailer RFS (notified July 17/deadline Aug. 24/simplified)
-- Real estate services firm CBRE Group Inc to buyJohnson Controls Inc's workplace solutions business(notified July 17/deadline Aug. 24/simplified)
-- Magyar Telekom, 59 percent owned by DeutscheTelekom, to form a joint venture with Swiss-basedenergy sales and trading group MET Holding AG (notified July17/deadline Aug. 24)
AUG 26
-- Italian confectionery maker Ferrero to purchase Britishchocolate retailer Thornstons (notified July22/deadline Aug. 26/simplified)
-- U.S. drugmaker Perrigo to buy portfolio ofover-the-counter brands form British peer GlaxoSmithKline (notified July 22/deadline Aug. 26)
-- Varo Energy, a joint venture between the world's top oiltrader Vitol and private equity firm Carlyle Group, is expanding its reach in Europe through a merger withDutch-based storage and trading company Argos (notified July 22/deadline Aug. 26)
AUG 27
-- Oilfield services provider Halliburton to buyrival Baker Hughes in a stock and cash transaction(notified July 23/deadline Aug. 27)
AUG 28
-- U.S. real estate services provider DTZ to acquire U.S.peer Cushman & Wakefield (notified July 24/deadline Aug. 28)
SEPT 2
-- Norwegian telecoms company Telenor and Swedishpeer TeliaSonera to combine their Danish mobilebusinesses (notified Feb. 27/deadline extended to Sept. 2 fromAug. 19 after the companies asked for more time)
SEPT 11
-- U.S. conglomerate General Electric to acquire mostof French engineering group Alstom's power equipmentbusiness (notified Jan. 19/deadline extended for third time toSept. 11 from Aug. 21)
NOV 25
-- U.S. drinks can maker Ball Corp to acquireBritish rival Rexam Plc (notified June 15/deadlineextended to Nov. 25 from July 20 after Commission openedin-depth investigation)
SUSPENDED
-- SOCAR, Azerbaijan's state energy company, to buy stakesin Greek natural gas grid operator DESFA from Greek natural gasutility 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 workingdays to 35 working days, to consider either a company's proposedremedies 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 theclearance of uncontroversial first-stage mergers without givingany reason for its decision. Cases may be reclassified asnon-simplified - that is, ordinary first-stage reviews - untilthey are approved. (Compiled by Foo Yun Chee)
