BRUSSELS (AFP) The EU commission called on Wednesday for a meeting of European finance and industry ministers on the future of struggling General Motors Europe, fearing the loss of thousands of jobs.

The meeting, for which a date has not been set, is being called "to exchange information and coordinate on the situation" facing European factories of US auto giant General Motors -- which owns the threatened Opel and Vauxhall marques.

"We are seeking a date for the meeting to be held as soon as possible," a spokesman said, adding that the 27 EU nations would be invited to send their economic and/or industry ministers.

The fate of tens of thousands of General Motors Europe workers hung in the balance Wednesday as Berlin mulled its preferred bidder for the car maker Opel.

GM, which also owns Vauxhall in Britain and Saab in Sweden, is racing against a June 1 deadline to come up with restructuring measures that would convince the US Treasury to keep it afloat with billions of taxpayer dollars.

Belgium has demanded broad European involvement in decisions about Opel, saying Germany alone should not decide its future.