BRUSSELS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The following are mergers underreview by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EUmerger process:
APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS
-- Generic drugmaker Mylan Inc to purchase AbbotLaboratories' specialty and branded generics businessoutside the United States (approved Jan. 28)
-- Swiss drugmaker Novartis to acquire Britishpeer GlaxoSmithKline's oncology products (approved Jan.28)
-- British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline to acquireNovartis' vaccines business, excluding flu, and thesetting up of a consumer healthcare joint venture (approved Jan.28)
NEW LISTINGS
None
EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES
None
FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
JAN 28
-- French chemicals producer Arkema to purchaseBlu-Tack maker Bostik from French oil major Total (notified Dec. 12/deadline Jan. 28)
FEB 5
-- Belgian telecoms group Telenet to acquire 50percent stake in Belgian broadcasting company De Vijver Media(notified Aug. 18/deadline extended for the second time to March5 from Feb. 5)
FEB 9
-- Proposed joint venture for 1 gigawatt "Nemo" power linkbetween Belgium and Britain between Britain's National Grid and Belgium's transmission system operator Elia (notified Jan. 5/deadline Feb. 9/simplified)
FEB 12
-- European private equity firm CVC Capital Partners to buy Finnish insulation material maker Paroc for enterprise value of some 700 million euros.(notified Jan. 8/deadline Feb. 12)
FEB 13
-- German conglomerate Siemens to purchase U.S.oilfield equipment maker Dresser-Rand Group Inc (notified Jan. 9/deadline Feb. 13)
-- Japanese building materials and housing equipment groupLIXIL Group Corp to take sole control of sanitoryfittings group Grohe (notified Jan. 9/deadline Feb13/simplified)
FEB 16
-- Private equity firm Bain Capital to acquire Britishbrickmaker Ibstock Group from Irish buidling supplies group CRH (notified Jan. 12/deadline Feb. 16/simplified)
FEB 17
-- Private equity firm Apax Partners to acquire ScandinavianIT services provider Evry (notified Jan. 13/deadline Feb.17/simplified)
FEB 18
-- Canadian asset manager Brookfield Infrastructure Fund to acquire broadcasting and wireless telecominfrastructure platform operator TDF S.A.S.(notified Jan.14/deadline Feb. 18/simplified)
FEB 19
-- Swiss telecoms provider Swisscom and carleasing company Sixt to set up a joint venture (notified Jan.15/deadline Feb. 19/simplified)
FEB 20
-- French minerals company Imerys to acquire rivalS&B Minerals (notified Jan. 15/deadline Feb. 20)
FEB 23
-- U.S. conglomerate General Electric to acquire mostof French engineering group Alstom's power equipmentbusiness (notified Jan. 19/deadline Feb. 23)
-- Commodities trader Cargill to buy rival ArcherDaniels Midland Co's global chocolate business (notifiedJan. 19/deadline Feb. 23)
-- German DIY retailer OBI to acquire a joint venture led byBrico Business Cooperation (notified Jan. 19/deadline Feb.23/simplified)
FEB 25
-- Asset manager The Carlyle Group and private equityfirm Warburg Pincus to jointly acquire control of creditrating agency DBRS Holdings (notified Jan. 21/deadline Feb.25/simplified)
FEB 26
-- German car parts maker ZF Friedrichshafen to buyU.S. peer TRW Automotive Holdings Corp (notified Jan.22/deadline Feb. 26)
FEB 27
-- Canadian private equity firm Onex Corp toacquire aseptic filler machines maker SIG Combibloc Group AG and SIG Holding USA (notified Jan. 23/deadline Feb.27/simplified)
MARCH 5
-- Belgian telecoms group Telenet, which is asubsidiary of U.S. cable group Liberty Global, toacquire 50 percent stake in Belgian broadcasting company DeVijver Media (notified Aug. 18/deadline extended for the secondtime to March 5 from Feb. 5/companies submitted concessions onNov. 24)
APRIL 22
-- SOCAR, Azerbaijan's state energy company, to buy stakesin Greek natural gas grid operator DESFA from Greek natural gasutility DEPA (notified Oct. 1/deadline extended for the secondtime to April 22 from March 23)
APRIL 30
-- French telecoms operator Orange to acquireSpanish provider Jazztel (notified Oct. 16/deadlineextended to April 30 from April 24 after the Commission resumedits scrutiny after a four-day halt)
MAY 13
-- Mondelez International Inc and competitor D.EMaster Blenders to merge their coffee businesses innew company called Jacobs Douwe Egberts (notified Oct.27/deadline extended for the third time to May 13 from May 6)
MAY 29
-- PRS for Music Ltd (PRSfM), Foreningen Svenska TonsattaresInternationella Mysikbyra (Stim) and Gesellschaft fürmusikalische Aufführungs- und mechanischeVervielfältigungsrechte (Gema) to set up a joint venture toadminister mechanical and performing rights (notified Nov.28/deadline extended to May 29 from Jan. 14 after the Commissionopened an in-depth probe)
SUSPENDED
-- U.S. orthopaedic products maker Zimmer Holdings to acquire rival Biomet Inc (notified Aug.29/deadline suspended from Dec. 2, 2014)
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. (Editing by Foo Yun Chee)
Glaxosmithkline (GSK)
