EU mergers and takeovers (Feb 18)
BRUSSELS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process:
APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS
-- France's Engie and BPCE Group to acquire joint control of French power producer Engie PV Curbans (approved Feb. 15)
NEW LISTINGS
-- German insurer Allianz, Canada's Public Sector Pension Investment Board and U.S.-based Greystar Real Estate Partners to acquire joint control over London-based student accommodation property Paul Street East through a share purchase agreement (notified Feb. 14/deadline March 21/simplified)
EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES
None
FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
FEB 20
-- German brewers Radeberger and Veltins to set up a joint venture to distribute and sell their beers (notified Jan. 16/deadline Feb. 20/simplified)
FEB 21
-- Automotive parts manufacturer Financiere SNOP Dunois S.A. to acquire sole control of peer Tower Automotive Holdings Europe (notified Jan. 17/deadline Feb. 21/simplified)
-- A consortium led by China's Anta Sports to acquire Finland's Amer Sports (notified Jan. 17/deadline Feb. 21/simplified)
FEB 26
-- German utility RWE to acquire networks and renewables unit Innogy with the assets to be divided between RWE and E.ON (notified Jan. 22/deadline Feb. 26)
FEB 28
-- Energy investment holding company LetterOne Holdings and chemical sector stock corporation BASF to create joint venture combining oil and gas activities (notified Jan. 24/deadline Feb. 28)
MARCH 1
-- Greencycle Holding and Germany's cardboard producing group Nord-Westdeutsche Papierrohstoff to create online waste material trading platform joint venture (notified Jan. 25/deadline March 1/simplified)
-- U.S.-headquartered Blackstone Group to acquire indirect joint control by way of share acquisition with Ireland-based Sretaw over Irish waste, recycling and utilities company Beauparc (notified Jan. 25/deadline March 1/simplified)
-- Brussels Airport Company to acquire indirect joint control of Airhotel Belgium with Marriot (notified Jan. 25/deadline March 1/simplified)
-- French energy group Engie, French tyre maker Michelin, the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Region and French public sector lender Caisse des Depots et Consignations to set up a joint venture (notified Jan. 25/deadline March 1/simplified)
MARCH 4
-- CVC Capital Partners to acquire sole control of insurer April Group (notified Jan. 28/deadline March 4/simplified)
-- Real estate investor Patron Fund and U.S. hotel chain Marriot to acquire joint control of Poland's Sheraton Warsaw Hotel (notified Jan. 28/deadline March 4/simplified)
MARCH 6
-- U.S. aircraft parts maker Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Inc to acquire EU-based supplier Asco Industries NV (notified Jan. 30/deadline March 6)
MARCH 7
-- German energy company E.ON to acquire German peer Innogy's retail and network activities (notified Jan. 31/deadline March 7)
-- U.S. telecoms equipment maker CommScope to acquire set-top box maker Arris International Plc (notified Jan. 31/deadline March 7/simplified)
-- Private equity firm The Carlyle Group to acquire aviation services company StandardAero from buyout firm Veritas Capital (notified Jan. 31/deadline March 7/simplified)
-- Cayman Island-based private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Fund X, L.P. to acquire sole control from investment vehicle Cheadle Developments Ltd. over Jersey-based FH Investments Ltd. through a share purchase (notified Jan. 31/deadline March 7/simplified)
MARCH 8
-- Energy producer and provider Total Holdings USA to acquire sole control over oil and natural gas production company Chevron Denmark (notified Feb. 1/deadline March 8)
-- Insurer Marsh & McLennan Companies to acquire share capital of British peer Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (notified Feb. 1/deadline March 8)
MARCH 11
-- Global aerospace producer, designer and supplier TransDigm Group to acquire sole control over manufacturing company Esterline Technologies (notified Feb. 4/deadline March 11)
-- DA Agravis Machinery Holding and Danish Agro Machinery Holding to acquire Kesko Group's agrimachinery activities in Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from Finnish subsidiary Konekesko Oy (notified Feb. 4/deadline March 11)
MARCH 12
-- UK-based asset manager Intermediate Capital Group to acquire control of Grupo Konectanet, S.L. and Konecta Activos Immobiliarios, S.L. and companies controlled by them (notified Feb. 5/deadline March 12/simplified) -- Swedish investment company Nalka Invest AB to acquire sole control of medical supply distributor OneMed AB (notified Feb. 5/deadline March 12/simplified)
-- On-street parking company Saba Portugal and road infrastructure operator Egis Portugal to acquire joint control of Viseu Car Park Assets (notified Feb. 5/deadline March 12/simplified)
MARCH 13
-- Norway's Kongsberg Gruppen to acquire British aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce's commercial marine business (notified Feb. 6/deadline March 13/simplified)
-- Mitsubishi Corp. and Franz Haniel & Cie. subsidiary ELG Haniel GmbH to acquire joint control over ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd. by way of purchase of shares (notified Feb. 6/deadline March 13/simplified)
MARCH 15
-- French construction company Vinci to acquire Britain's Gatwick Airport (notified Feb. 8/deadline March 15/simplified)
-- Investindustrial VI L.P.'s investment subsidiary World Confectionery Group S.a r.l to acquire sole control of Spain's chocolate company Natra S.A. (notified Feb. 8/deadline March 15/simplified)
-- U.S. private equity firm American Securities to acquire property restoration company Belfor Holdings (notified Feb. 8/deadline March 15/simplified)
MARCH 20
-- U.S. private equity firm KKR to acquire Spanish food-food restaurant chain Telepizza (notified Feb. 13/deadline March 20/simplified)
APRIL 16
-- Steel company Aperam to acquire Netherlands producer of materials from nickel and nickel alloy VDM Metals Holding (notified Oct. 23/deadline extended to April 16 from Nov. 29 after the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation)
APRIL 29
--- Germany's Thyssenkrupp and India's Tata Steel to set up a steel joint venture (notified Sept. 25/deadline April 29)
MAY 13
-- Electronic and motor manufacturing company Nidec to acquire sole control of U.S. white goods maker Whirlpool Corp's compressor subsidiary Embraco (notified Oct. 8/deadline May 13/concessions offered Feb. 11)
JUNE 3
-- UK mobile telephony provider Vodafone to acquire U.S. Liberty Global's telecommunications business in the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Romania (notified Oct. 19/deadline June 3)
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 Clare Roth;)
