EU mergers and takeovers (Oct 3)

                                
 BRUSSELS, Oct 3 (Reuters) - The following are proposed
mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures under review by the
European Commission, and a brief guide to the EU merger process:
                                
 
                                
 APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS:
                                
 -- U.S. global payment card company American Express <AXP.N>
and Belgian banking and insurance company Fortis <FOR.BR> modify
Belgian payment card company Alpha Card into a full-function
joint venture (approved Oct. 3)

                                
 NEW LISTINGS:
                                
 -- Goldman Sachs Private Equity Holding LP, controlled by
U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc <GS.N>, together
with two managers, acquires joint control of Appliances
Components Companies SpA, an Italian maker of motors for washing
machines and dishwashers; Italian vending machine maker Bianchi
Vending Group SpA; Finder SpA, an Italian maker of industrial
pumps and filters; and the group of companies controlled by each
of them (notified Sept. 29/deadline Nov. 3/simplified)
                                
 
                                
 EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES:
                                
 -- French pharmaceuticals and human vaccines company
Sanofi-Aventis <SASY.PA> buys generic pharmaceuticals firm
Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR> (notified Sept. 5/deadline Oct. 10/on Oct.
3, European Commission says notification incomplete, new
notification required)
                                
 
                                
 FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE:
                                
 OCT 6
                                
 -- U.S. composite polymers company Ashland <ASH.N> buys U.S.
specialty chemicals company Hercules <HPC.N> (notified Sept.
1/deadline Oct. 6)
                                
 
                                
 OCT 10
                                
 -- German pharmaproducts company Haniel and German holiday
hotels company Schmidt-Ruthenbeck buy German cash and carry
markets company Metro AG <MEOG.DE> (notified Sept. 5/deadline
Oct. 10/simplified)
                                
 
                                
 OCT 13
                                
 -- French global services company Capgemini <CAPP.PA> buys
Dutch IT services group Getronics PinkRoccade's Business
Application Services BV (BAS) unit in the Netherlands (notified
Sept. 8/deadline Oct. 13)
                                
 -- Brazilian meat processor Marfrig <MRFG3.SA> buys some
Brazilian and European undertakings of U.S. fresh and processed
poultry company OSI Group (notified Sept. 8/deadline Oct. 13)
                                
 -- Rail Cargo Austria AG, a freight transport and forwarding
company, acquires control of the whole of Hungarian peer MAV
Cargo (notified Aug. 25/deadline Sept. 29/on Sept. 23, deadline
extended to Oct. 13)

                                
 OCT 14
                                
 -- UK pharmaceutical products wholesaler Alliance Boots
[AB.UL] buys German pharmaceutical products wholesaler Megapharm
(notified Sept. 9/deadline Oct. 14/simplified)
                                
 
                                
 OCT 15
                                
 -- Italy's Eni <ENI.MI> buys Belgian natural gas company
Distrigas, part of French utility Suez <LYOE.PA> (notified Sept.
10/deadline Oct. 15)
                                
 -- German commercial bank Deutsche Bank <DBKGn.DE> and U.S.
global investment bank Goldman Sachs <GS.N> buy Dutch finance
leasing company Befraco (notified Sept. 10/deadline Oct.
15/simplified)
                                
 -- Allianz Lebensversicherungs <ALLG.DE> and Allianz
Versicherungs, belonging to German insurer Allianz <ALVG.DE>,
and GLL AMB Generali Holding Bank Center of Luxembourg,
belonging to the Italian Generali Group <GASI.MI>, acquire joint
control of Hungarian rental companies TopTorony and Shaza
(notified Sept. 10/deadline Oct. 15/simplified)
                                
 
                                
 OCT 17
                                
 -- Portuguese oil company Galp Energia <GALP.LS> acquires
U.S. energy major Exxon Mobil's <XOM.N> businesses in Portugal
and Spain (notified Sept. 12/deadline Oct. 17)
                                
 -- U.S. plastics and chemicals company Dow Chemical <DOW.N>
and Petrochemical Industries Co KSC, controlled by Kuwait
Petroleum Corp, acquire joint control of a new company active in
manufacturing and marketing polyethylene, polypropylene and
other products (notified Sept. 12/deadline Oct. 17/simplified)
                                
 -- Life Assurance Holding Corp, a British specialist
consolidator of life assurance companies that is controlled by
Swiss Re <RUKN.VX>, buys Barclays Life Assurance Co and its
wholly owned subsidiary BLAC Ltd from British bank Barclays
<BARC.L> (notified Sept. 12/deadline Oct. 17/simplified)

                                
 OCT 20
                                
 -- Belgian-Dutch financial group Fortis <FOR.BR><FOR.AS>
buys Delta Lloyd ABN Amro Verzekeringen Holding BV, a Dutch
insurance company (notified Sept. 15/deadline Oct.
20/simplified)
                                
 
                                
 OCT 22
                                
 -- Private equity company One Equity Partners, an indirect
subsidiary of JP Morgan Chase <JPM.N>, acquires control of
German board and laminate maker Pfleiderer <PFDGn.DE> (notified
Sept. 17/deadline Oct. 22/simplified)
                                
 -- System Capital Management Ltd of Cyprus, a producer of
metals and coal, and Energees Investments Ltd, a Cyprus steel
producer, belonging to the Smart Group, take joint control of
Dutch steel and mining firm Metinvest BV and its subsidaries MMZ
of Ukraine and Promet Steel JSC of Bulgaria (notified Sept.
17/deadline Oct. 22/simplified)
                                
 
                                
 OCT 23
                                
 -- Thai olefins maker PTT Chemical <PTTC.BK> and Malaysian
palm oil producer Sime Darby <SIME.KL> form joint venture to
make organic basic chemicals (notified Sept. 18/deadline Oct.
23/simplified)
                                
 
                                
 OCT 24
                                
 -- Japanese copier and printer maker Ricoh Co <7752.T>
enters into full merger with U.S. office equipment distributor
Ikon Office Solutions <IKN.N> via a contribution in cash
(notified Sept. 19/deadline Oct. 24)
                                
 -- South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co <005380.KS>
acquires control of the whole of Hyundai Automobili Italia
Importazioni SpA (HAII), a distributor of Hyundai vehicles in
Italy, by way of contribution in kind to a new Italian company,
Newco, whose share capital will be fully owned by HAII (notified
Sept. 19/deadline Oct. 24/simplified)

                                
 OCT 27
                                
 -- Spain's Aegon Spanje, controlled by Dutch insurer Aegon
<AEGN.AS>, and Caixa Terrassa, a Spanish banking and insurance
company, acquire joint control of the latter's insurance and
pension product subsidiary CaixaTerrassa Vida (notified Sept.
22/deadline Oct. 27/simplified)
                                
 OCT 28
                                
 -- Dutch petroleum products trader STAK Van der Sluijs Groep
and Frisol Beheer, a trader of petroleum products for ships that
belongs to the Dutch Reggeborgh Groep, acquire joint control of
North Sea Petroleum Holding, which will combine the two traders'
activities (notified Sept. 23/deadline Oct. 28/simplified)
                                
 
                                
 NOV 3
                                
 -- Sappi Ltd <SAPJ.J>, a South African maker of paper and
chemical cellulose, buys the coated graphic business and certain
related uncoated graphic business activities of Finland's M-real
Oyj <MRLBV.HE> (notified Sept. 29/deadline Nov. 3)