The European Commission has called for crisis talks with European Union states hosting General Motors plants.

Guenter Verheugen, EU industry commissioner, said the way GM was "dealing with the issue of Europe is not acceptable".

Earlier this week, GM Europe president Carl-Peter Forster warned the European divisions of GM could collapse within weeks without European governments' help - costing up to 300,000 jobs.

Chief operating officer Fritz Henderson also said governments should step in immediately to ensure GM Europe did not run out of money by April or May.

Verheugen told the BBC: "We expect GM to disclose everything. What are their plans with their European daughter companies and locations? What are they doing with property rights, and especially is GM prepared to maintain responsibility for the European companies or not?"

He said that at the emergency meeting he wanted to find out "what the different member states that have GM sites are considering to do".

EU countries that have GM-related production plants include Britain, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Spain and Sweden. Some other EU states host suppliers.