German carmaker Opel is seeking to become largely independent of its American parent company General Motors. In the future, GM Europe chief Carl-Peter Forster said on Friday after a board meeting at Opel's main plant near Frankfurt, Opel should operate far more independently than it has up until now. At the same time, he warned, Opel must remain part of the GM group of companies.

In recent weeks, Opel and GM Europe have been working together on a plan for the beleaguered German carmaker's future. According to the proposal put forward on Friday, the firm would operate as an "independent business unit".