The German government and parliament, which have been asked for money to help rescue Opel, said Wednesday that a plan to restructure the ailing car maker was insufficient.
Opel has sought 1.5 billion euros (2.0 billion dollars) from Berlin, which awaits the results of a private audit before saying whether the government will give Opel the money it wants.
German authorities have called for “firewalls” to prevent German aid from being transferred to Opel’s parent company General Motors in the United States, according to the record of a parliamentary economy and technology committee meeting.
Lawmakers also regret the lack “of a commitment of Opel’s own capital” and that Opel “does not say how it will avoid bankruptcy” after 2013.
Moreover, “the participation of other European countries that host Opel sites is not clarified,” the document said.
Opel also has plants in Austria, Poland and Spain.
The auto manufacturer’s restructuring plan depends on a total of 2.7 billion euros in state aid.
Lawmakers from the conservative CDU/CSU parties have insisted meanwhile that “there must not be special treatment” for Opel, considered by some a weak link in an industry trying to deal with 20 percent surplus capacity across the continent.
The automaker wants to eliminate 8,300 jobs from a total of around 50,000 in Europe. Germany would lose more than 3,900 from a total of 24,300.
