On Friday, March 13, executives from General Motors from both Detroit and Europe will meet with European lawmakers according to Ton van Lierop, a spokesman from the European Commission.

At a news briefing in Brussels Lierop said, "We have invited for next Friday the highest representatives from General Motors Europe and Detroit. We hope that the Chief Operating Officer from Detroit will be coming."

Additionally, the industry and economy ministers of the 27 member nations of the European Union have also been invited to the informal meeting. The countries in which GM has factories and suppliers are expected to attend.

GM Europe includes Opel, based in Germany, and Vauxhall, based in the United Kingdom. The company is asking for 3.3 billion euros, approximately $4.2 billion, in aid from European governments, saying it could run out of money in the second quarter without the assistance.

The German media has reported that GM Europe could close three Opel facilities for a job loss of 11,000, about one fifth of its workforce. Representatives of Opel's works council and union representatives from GM Europe GmbH issued a statement indicating they are seeing "to arrange a positive future"for Opel's workers.

The meeting Friday is a clear indication of the degree to which the automotive crisis and the economic recession itself are global in scope and deeply entrenched with few prospects of resolution in 2009.