eu mergers and takeovers (sept 10)
EU mergers and takeovers (Sept 10) September 10, 2004 7:40am ET (Reuters)
BRUSSELS, Sept 10 (Reuters) - The following cases have been added or deleted to the takeovers, mergers, buy-outs and joint ventures that are under review by the European Commission. (See at the end for a guide to the EU merger processes)
NEW LISTINGS
None
APPROVALS
-- Plans by Hewlett-Packard of the United States to purchase IT services company Synstar (cleared Sept 10)
-- Plans by Portugal's EDP-Electricidade de Portugal S.A. to acquire control of Spain's Hidroelectrica del Cantabrico S.A. (cleared Sept 9)
ONGOING ONE-MONTH REVIEWS
-- Plans by Britain's International Power Plc and Japan's Mitsui & Co. to acquire MEC International, a generator of electricity in Europe, Asia and Puerto Rico, from Edison International 's Edison Mission Energy unit through a 70-30 joint venture (notified Sept 3/deadline Oct 8)
-- Plans by Franco-Spanish tobacco firm Altadis 's majority-owned Logista unit to buy 96 percent of Italian tobacco distributor Etinera from Ente Tabacchi Italiani, a wholly-owned subsidiary of British American Tobacco Plc (notified Aug 30/deadline Oct 4)
-- Plans by U.S. motor vehicles components manufacturer and supplier ArvinMeritor Inc. to acquire control of the axle production business of the French/Swedish Volvo Group (notified August 27/deadline Oct 1)
-- Plans by RWA Raiffeisen Ware of Austria and AMI Agrolinz Melamine International of Austria for a joint venture, Inter-Fert, which will trade in mineral fertilizers (suspended on June 25/reactivated on Sept 10, new deadline Sept 29)
-- Plans by Deutsche Post of Germany to purchase Guipuzcoana/DHL of Spain, buying out the share of Investgi of Spain (notified August 25/deadline Sept 29/candidate for simplified procedure)
-- Plans by Sweden's TeliaSonera to purchase a Danish mobile operator from France Telecom's Orange (notified Aug 20/deadline Sept 24)
-- Plans by Canada's Magna International , which makes automotive components and assembles vehicles in North and South America and in Europe, to purchase New Venture Gear of the United States, which designs and makes transfer cases and other vehicle components in the United States and Europe (notified August 20/deadline September 24)
-- Plans by France's Total SA to acquire parts of Gaz de France , including transport and storage facilities of natural gas in southwest France, and a transfer of eligible customers in southwest and central France (notified August 20/deadline September 24)
-- Plans by Japan's Seiko Epson and Sanyo Electric Co to gain joint control of Sanyo Epson, which makes LCD panels for use in consumer products (notified August 18/deadline September 22)
-- Plans by TPG Post and Essent Retail, both of The Netherlands, for a joint venture, Cendris BSC Customer contact, to provide call center services (notified August 17/deadline September 21/candidate for simplified procedure)
-- Plans by The Netherlands' Rabobank [RABN.UL] and Belgium's KBC bank for a joint venture to process securities and administrative transactions (notified Aug 17/deadline Sept 21)
-- Plans by Britain's GKN Plc to sell its 50 percent stake in helicopter joint venture AugustaWestland for 1.06 billion pounds to Italian partner Finmeccanica (notified August 16/deadline Sept 20)
-- Plans by Austria's UNIQA Versicherungen insurance to purchase Italy's Claris Vita life insurance (notified August 16/deadline September 17/candidate for simplified procedure)
-- Plans by the Clayton, Dubilier & Rice fund of the United States to buy Culligan Corporation of the United States, a maker of water treatment products (notified Aug 13/deadline Sept 17/candidate for simplified procedure)
-- Plans by UK support services firm Serco Group PLc for a 50-50 joint venture with Ned Railways BV of The Netherlands for a Northern Rail train operating franchise in Britain (notified Aug 13/deadline Sept 17) -- Plans by Spain's Banco Santander Central Hispano S.A. to acquire control of Britain's Abbey National plc (notified Aug 13/deadline Sept 17)
-- Plans by The Netherlands' VNU unit A.C. Nielsen and British advertising firm WPP Group for a joint venture to measure television audiences in 30 countries (notified August 11/deadline September 15)
-- Plans by Danish Crown of Denmark, a slaughterer of pigs and cattle and a meat processor, and HK Ruokatalo of Finland, a slaughterer of pigs, cattle and poultry, to acquire joint control of Sokolow , a Polish slaughterhouse and meat processor (notified August 9/deadline Sept 13)
-- Plans by Spain's Repsol YPF to purchase Royal Dutch/Shell service station and distribution network IN Portugal (notified August 9/deadline Sept 13)
-- Plans by Germany's REWE-Beteiligungs-Holding International GmbH to acquire control of France's SERVICE PLUS (ASP). At present, ASP is jointly controlled by REWE and Metro Holding France. (notified August 2/deadline Sept 6/candidate for simplified
