EU mergers and takeovers (Sept 30)

BRUSSELS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process:

APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS

-- Areva Energies Renouvelables and Gamesa Energia to set up a joint venture (notified Sept. 4/approved Sept. 30/simplified)

-- The Ortner Group and Strauss, which is a subsidiary of Austrian construction company PORR, to jointly acquire Austrian property developer UBM (notified Sept. 4/approved Sept. 30/simplified)

NEW LISTINGS

-- Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways to acquire 49 percent stake in Italian airline Alitalia (notified Sept. 29/deadline Nov. 3)

EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES

None

FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE

OCT 3

-- U.S. fruit firm Chiquita Brands and Irish rival Fyffes to merge (notified Aug. 14/deadline extended to Oct. 3 from Sept. 19 after the companies offered commitments)

-- U.S. social network Facebook to buy mobile messaging startup WhatsApp (notified Aug. 29/deadline Oct. 3)

-- U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly to acquire Swiss peer Novartis's animal health business (notified Aug. 29/deadline Oct. 3)

-- U.S. orthopaedic products maker Zimmer Holdings to acquire rival Biomet Inc (notified Aug. 29/deadline Oct. 3)

OCT 8

-- Private equity firm the Blackstone Group to acquire life insurer Lombard (notified Sept. 3/deadline Oct. 8/simplified)

OCT 9

-- U.S. film and TV company 21st Century Fox and private investment firm Apollo Management to acquire joint control of a joint venture (notified Sept. 4/deadline Oct. 9)

-- Dubai's Dnata, part of the Emirates Group, to buy Britain's Stella Travel Services UK Ltd, which is jointly owned by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners and Swiss bank UBS AG (notified Sept. 4/Oct. 9/simplified)

OCT 13

-- U.S. household appliances maker Whirlpool to buy a 60 percent stake in Italian peer Indesit (notified Sept. 8/deadline Oct. 13)

OCT 14

-- Petrochemicals group Ineos to buy BASF's 50 percent stake in German plastics maker Styrolution (notified Sept. 9/deadline Oct. 14/simplified)

OCT 15

-- Private equity firm Advent International to buy aluminium producer Corialis (notified Sept. 10/deadline Oct. 15/simplified)

OCT 16

-- U.S. drugmaker AbbVie to acquire Irish peer Shire Plc (notified Sept. 11/deadline Oct. 16)

-- U.S. aluminium group Alcoa to buy parts aerospace company Firth Rixson from private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners (notified Sept. 11/deadline Oct. 16)

OCT 17

-- Private equity firm EQT Infrastructure and Spanish building manager Onmomutua to acquire joint control of Spanish car operator Acvil, which is now solely controlled by EQT (notified Sept. 12/deadline Oct. 17/simplified)

OCT 20

-- Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and German engineering group Siemens to set up a joint venture (notified Sept. 15/deadline Oct. 20)

OCT 23

-- OFI InfraVia, GDF Suez and PensionDanmark Holding to acquire joint control of gas pipeline operator Noordgastransport B.V. (notified Sept. 18/deadline Oct. 23/simplified)

-- French insurer Axa and British property developer Hammerson plc to acquire joint control of a British property portfolio which is now jointly owned by Hammerson and Land Securities Group plc (notified Sept. 18/deadline Oct. 23/simplified)

OCT 30

-- Dolby Laboratories to acquire digital cinema equipment maker Doremi Highlands (notified Sept. 25/deadline Oct. 30)

OCT 31

-- Mobile operator Vodafone to form joint venture with Ireland's Electricity Supply Board to build fibre broadband network across country (notified Sept. 26/deadline Oct. 31)

-- Private equity fund Clayton, Dubilier & Rice to acquire helicopter operator CHC Group (notified Sept. 26/deadline Oct. 31/simplified)

NOV 3

-- U.S. cable company Liberty Global to acquire Dutch peer Ziggo (notified March 14/deadline extended to Nov. 3 after Liberty Global provided further details of concessions)

FEB 3

-- Belgian telecoms group Telenet to acquire 50 percent stake in Belgian broadcasting company De Vijver Media (notified Aug. 18/deadline extended to Feb. 5 from Sept. 22 after the European Commission opened an in-depth probe)

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.

(Editing by Foo Yun Chee)