Opel racked up EUR1.861bn in losses between 2003 and 2007, Financial Times Deutschland reported on Monday.


Over the last 10 years, the European arm of US General Motors ended only 2001 and 2002 in the black, the daily wrote further citing officials from the federal government when asked by the Free Democrats (FDP) in the Bundestag. No figures are available yet for 2008.


The paper said figures may turn into a serious blow to the ongoing negotiations for the rescue of the ailing carmaker as the federal government has to prove that Opel was a healthy company in order to get approval from the European Commission (EC) to provide state guarantees to the carmaker after its acquisition.


Without this proof, the European watchdog would not give its nod to state aid, the paper added. The government, in turn, has based its pledge for state aid for Opel on the assumption that the carmaker was healthy before the crisis.

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