DETAILED REVIEWS:
-- Plans by French publisher Lagardere (LAGA.PA) to acquire control of French publisher Vivendi Universal Publishing (V.N) (notified April 15/deadline May 22/extended to June 5/in-depth probe announced June 5/suspended to seek further information/restarted on July 14/deadline December 3/deadline suspended on Aug 11 to seek further information)
-- Plans by French electrical household appliances maker SEB S.A. to acquire control of parts of French Moulinex S.A. in Italy, Spain, Finland, Ireland and Britain (notified April 14/deadline May 12/extended to May 23/In-depth probe announced May 23/deadline Oct 3/suspended to seek further information)
* The Commission has a calendar month after a deal has been filed to clear it or start a detailed, four-month probe. It can extend its initial review by two weeks if it identifies competition problems and companies submit undertakings.
Referral requests by EU national governments, usually in defence, utilities and media sectors, also trigger an initial two-week extension. The clock is re-started on incomplete filings when they are completed.
Under the simplified procedure, the Commission announces the clearance of uncontroversial mergers without giving any reasons for its decision.