BRUSSELS, May 31 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under
review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU
merger process:
APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS:
-- Private equity firms Permira and AXA Private Equity to acquire online travel agent Opodo (approved May 30)
NEW LISTINGS:
-- Stichting Administratiekantoor Van der Sluijs Groep Holding and Frisol Beheer B.V., a unit of Dutch property developer Reggeborgh, to set up a petroleum supplies joint venture to be called North Sea Group (notified May 30/deadline July 7/simplified)
-- French minerals company Imerys to acquire miner Rio Tinto's talc business (notified May 30/deadline July 7)
-- Building materials company Xella, jointly controlled by Goldman Sachs and private equity firm PAI Partners, to acquire Danish building materials supplier H+H (notified May 30/deadline extended to July 7 from March 1 after the Commission referred parts of the transaction to the German regulator)
EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES:
-- U.S.-based Seagate Technology to acquire Samsung Electronic's hard disk drive business (notified April 19/deadline extended to Oct. 10 from May 30 after the Commission opened an in-depth probe)
-- Western Digital Corp to acquire Hitachi's hard disk drive business (notified April 20/deadline extended to Oct. 10 from May 31 after the Commission opened an in-depth probe)
FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
JUNE 1
-- Germany chemicals company BASF and British peer Ineos to set up a styrenics joint venture (notified April 7/deadline extended to June 1 from May 18 after BASF offered commitments)
-- Private equity firm PAI to acquire French equipment rental operator Kiloutou (notified April 26/deadline June 1/simplified)
JUNE 7
-- Russian steel company Novolipetsk to acquire control of Luxembourg-based carbon and steel company Steel Invest & Finance (notified April 28/deadline June 7)
-- N.Y.-based Colgate-Palmolive company to acquire European multi-category personal care brand Sanex (notified April 28/deadline June 7)
JUNE 9
-- U.S drugmaker Pfizer to acquire Danish medical devices and consumer healthcare company Ferrosan's consumer healthcare business (notified May 2/deadline June 9)
-- U.S. bug spray maker SC Johnson to acquire Sara Lee Corp's remaining insecticide business (notified Nov. 3/deadline extended for the third time to June 9 from May 26 after the company offered commitments to the Commission)
--Thai polyester chain producer Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited and Italian polyester filament yarn producer Sinterama SpA to acquire German textile product supplier Trevira GmbH (notified May 2/June 9)
JUNE 10
-- Netherlands-based Holcim Grondstoffen BV and German construction and contractor Basalt Union GmbH to create a joint venture in trading of aggregates in the Netherlands (notified May 3/deadline June 10/simplified)
JUNE 14
-- German auto insurers HUK, HDI and WGV to acquire online price comparison site Aspect Online (notified May 4/deadline June 14/simplified)
-- French dairy company Lactalis to acquire Italian milk and diary company Parmalat SpA (notified May 4/deadline June 14)
-- Energy trading firm Vitol, African private investment firm Helios Investment Partners, and oil giant Royal Dutch Shell to form two joint ventures, Plateau Holding and BV 3 (notified May 4/deadline June 14/simplified)
JUNE 15
-- Indian group Aditya Birla to acquire U.S.-based Columbian Chemicals (notified May 5/deadline June 15)
-- Russian holding company Linea, which owns a major stake in Russian mining company Eurochem, to acquire additional shares in Russian holding company Donalink, which holds a major stake in Russian coal miner SUEK (notified April 5/deadline June 15/simplified)
-- Energy firm Groene Energie Maatschappij NV (GEM), dredging contractor Dredging Environmental & Marine Engineering NV (Deme), renewable energy firm Electrawinds Offshore NV (Electrawinds Offshore), environment holding company S.R.I.W Environnement SA (SRIWE), renewable energy company Z-Kracht, offshore energy investor Power@Sea NV (POWER@SEA), port development company Rent-A-Port Energy NV (Rent-A-Port Energy) and energy and waste management holding company Socofe SA (Socofe) -- all Belgian-based -- to acquire joint control of joint venture Otary RS NV (Otary) (notified May 5/deadline June 16/simplified)
JUNE 16
-- U.S. cable company Liberty Global to acquire German peer KBW from Swedish private fund investor EQT (notified April 19/deadline extended to June 16 from May 30 after national regulators requested that the case be referred to them)
-- French telecoms company Vivendi to acquire a 44 percent stake in French telecoms operator SFR from British mobile operator Vodafone (notified May 6/deadline June 16/simplified)
-- U.S. auto interiors maker Johnson Controls to acquire German auto parts manufacturer Keiper and the automotive business of Recaro Group (notified May 6/deadline June 16)
-- Austrian building materials maker Wienerberger to acquire control of Austrian tile maker Wibra Beteiligungs which owns a joint stake in tile producer Tondach Gleinstatten (notified May 6/deadline June 16/simplified)
-- U.S. group Danaher to acquire U.S. medical diagnostics company Beckman Coulter (notified May 6/deadline June 16)
Keywords: EU mergers and takeovers
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS:
-- Private equity firms Permira and AXA Private Equity to acquire online travel agent Opodo (approved May 30)
NEW LISTINGS:
-- Stichting Administratiekantoor Van der Sluijs Groep Holding and Frisol Beheer B.V., a unit of Dutch property developer Reggeborgh, to set up a petroleum supplies joint venture to be called North Sea Group (notified May 30/deadline July 7/simplified)
-- French minerals company Imerys to acquire miner Rio Tinto's talc business (notified May 30/deadline July 7)
-- Building materials company Xella, jointly controlled by Goldman Sachs and private equity firm PAI Partners, to acquire Danish building materials supplier H+H (notified May 30/deadline extended to July 7 from March 1 after the Commission referred parts of the transaction to the German regulator)
EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES:
-- U.S.-based Seagate Technology to acquire Samsung Electronic's hard disk drive business (notified April 19/deadline extended to Oct. 10 from May 30 after the Commission opened an in-depth probe)
-- Western Digital Corp to acquire Hitachi's hard disk drive business (notified April 20/deadline extended to Oct. 10 from May 31 after the Commission opened an in-depth probe)
FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE
JUNE 1
-- Germany chemicals company BASF and British peer Ineos to set up a styrenics joint venture (notified April 7/deadline extended to June 1 from May 18 after BASF offered commitments)
-- Private equity firm PAI to acquire French equipment rental operator Kiloutou (notified April 26/deadline June 1/simplified)
JUNE 7
-- Russian steel company Novolipetsk to acquire control of Luxembourg-based carbon and steel company Steel Invest & Finance (notified April 28/deadline June 7)
-- N.Y.-based Colgate-Palmolive company to acquire European multi-category personal care brand Sanex (notified April 28/deadline June 7)
JUNE 9
-- U.S drugmaker Pfizer to acquire Danish medical devices and consumer healthcare company Ferrosan's consumer healthcare business (notified May 2/deadline June 9)
-- U.S. bug spray maker SC Johnson to acquire Sara Lee Corp's remaining insecticide business (notified Nov. 3/deadline extended for the third time to June 9 from May 26 after the company offered commitments to the Commission)
--Thai polyester chain producer Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited and Italian polyester filament yarn producer Sinterama SpA to acquire German textile product supplier Trevira GmbH (notified May 2/June 9)
JUNE 10
-- Netherlands-based Holcim Grondstoffen BV and German construction and contractor Basalt Union GmbH to create a joint venture in trading of aggregates in the Netherlands (notified May 3/deadline June 10/simplified)
JUNE 14
-- German auto insurers HUK, HDI and WGV to acquire online price comparison site Aspect Online (notified May 4/deadline June 14/simplified)
-- French dairy company Lactalis to acquire Italian milk and diary company Parmalat SpA (notified May 4/deadline June 14)
-- Energy trading firm Vitol, African private investment firm Helios Investment Partners, and oil giant Royal Dutch Shell to form two joint ventures, Plateau Holding and BV 3 (notified May 4/deadline June 14/simplified)
JUNE 15
-- Indian group Aditya Birla to acquire U.S.-based Columbian Chemicals (notified May 5/deadline June 15)
-- Russian holding company Linea, which owns a major stake in Russian mining company Eurochem, to acquire additional shares in Russian holding company Donalink, which holds a major stake in Russian coal miner SUEK (notified April 5/deadline June 15/simplified)
-- Energy firm Groene Energie Maatschappij NV (GEM), dredging contractor Dredging Environmental & Marine Engineering NV (Deme), renewable energy firm Electrawinds Offshore NV (Electrawinds Offshore), environment holding company S.R.I.W Environnement SA (SRIWE), renewable energy company Z-Kracht, offshore energy investor Power@Sea NV (POWER@SEA), port development company Rent-A-Port Energy NV (Rent-A-Port Energy) and energy and waste management holding company Socofe SA (Socofe) -- all Belgian-based -- to acquire joint control of joint venture Otary RS NV (Otary) (notified May 5/deadline June 16/simplified)
JUNE 16
-- U.S. cable company Liberty Global to acquire German peer KBW from Swedish private fund investor EQT (notified April 19/deadline extended to June 16 from May 30 after national regulators requested that the case be referred to them)
-- French telecoms company Vivendi to acquire a 44 percent stake in French telecoms operator SFR from British mobile operator Vodafone (notified May 6/deadline June 16/simplified)
-- U.S. auto interiors maker Johnson Controls to acquire German auto parts manufacturer Keiper and the automotive business of Recaro Group (notified May 6/deadline June 16)
-- Austrian building materials maker Wienerberger to acquire control of Austrian tile maker Wibra Beteiligungs which owns a joint stake in tile producer Tondach Gleinstatten (notified May 6/deadline June 16/simplified)
-- U.S. group Danaher to acquire U.S. medical diagnostics company Beckman Coulter (notified May 6/deadline June 16)
Keywords: EU mergers and takeovers
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.