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There is currently no frontrunner in the bids for General Motors Corp.'s (GM) German unit Adam Opel AG and its European division, and the government will examine openly any bids submitted before 1600 GMT, an economics ministry spokesman said Wednesday.

GM's European division said Wednesday it expects to receive at least three bids from potential investors by 1600 GMT for the group's European division.

The government is considering a credit line for Opel provided by state-owned bank KfW and state-owned banks, Landesbanken, belonging to the states with Opel plants.

"For the government, this is an examination with an open end. There are no frontrunners," economics ministry spokesman Steffen Moritz told reporters.

Italian automaker Fiat SpA (F.MI) plans to integrate GM's European, Latin American and South African operations into a global alliance with its own auto unit and Chrysler LLC.

Austrian-Canadian auto parts supplier Magna International Inc. (MGA) has signaled its interest in GM Europe.

A person familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal earlier this month that RHJ International (RHJI.BT), a European buyout firm with holdings in the auto-parts industry, has also emerged as a suitor for GM Europe.

Speaking at the same press conference, government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said Wednesday's meeting of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Economics Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck and Labor Minister Olaf Scholz on Opel has been constructive.

"For now, we are awaiting the submission of the concepts by the interested players - this is Fiat, Magna and others," Wilhelm said. "For this, there is a deadline for tonight. The concepts will then be quickly assessed and then, in the light of this assessment, there will be further talks."

He also rejected report saying that three detailed bids have already been submitted.

The future talks will be conducted with the cabinet members, governors of the states that are home to Opel plants, with GM and the U.S. government as well as with the European partners, Wilhelm said.

He said he can't confirm reports that there will be a meeting Sunday in chancellery with the same cabinet members to make a decision on Opel.

Zu Guttenberg leaves the option open that he might travel to the U.S. for further talks.

The government is currently considering a state-supported trusteeship to keep Opel operating should GM enter bankruptcy before Opel can be sold. This will also include a bridge, or interim, financing from state-owned bank KfW and Landesbanken of the states with Opel plants to keep the carmaker operating.

Web site: www.bmwi.de

-By Andrea Thomas, Dow Jones Newswires; +49-30-288-8410; andrea.thomas@dowjones.com

(Christoph Rauwald in Frankfurt contributed to this item.)