Brussels  - The European Union's executive body on Friday hosted high-level talks between representatives of General Motors (GM) and politicians from EU states where GM has subsidiaries, in a bid to defuse the growing crisis over GM's financial troubles.

"First of all, we expect an update from GM representatives on their current plans. Secondly, we want the chance to sit down and discuss the situation with the other (EU) countries involved," Germany's junior economics minister, Jochen Homann, told reporters as he arrived at the talks.

Brussels  - The European Union on Friday cleared the purchase of German construction firm MAN Ferrostaal by Abu Dhabi-based investment fund IPIC as long as MAN sells its share in a key manufacturer, officials in Brussels announced.

The EU's executive, the European Commission, cleared the purchase as long as MAN sold its share in the company Eurotecnica, which makes machines which produce melamine, a chemical used in the production of paper, and in the wood and automotive industries.

Brussels - The European Union was on Friday split over the question of whether or not to renew sanctions against Belarus, six months after it froze them, EU diplomats said.

The row comes as the bloc is pushing to increase its influence in the former Soviet Union to counter Moscow's growing assertiveness in the region.

Brussels - The European Union's executive on Friday launched a probe into a plan to rebuild fallen Belgian banking giant Dexia, which in September received a multi-billion-dollar bail-out from the Belgian, French and Luxembourg governments.

"We cannot reach a favourable conclusion at this stage on the plans submitted to us. We therefore have to study them in depth," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement.

Brussels - The European Union's executive body is to host on Friday high-level talks between representatives of General Motors (GM) and politicians from EU states where GM has subsidiaries, in a bid to defuse the growing crisis over GM's financial troubles.

GM's chief operating officer, Fritz Henderson, and the head of its European division, Carl Peter Forster, are to hold talks with the EU's industry, competition and employment commissioners, officials in Brussels confirmed.