Jaguar and Land Rover have been added to the general assembly of ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association.

Both companies will start their membership on July 1.

Ivan Hodac, secretary general of ACEA, said: "We welcome Jaguar Land Rover in our midst and are convinced the company will make a valuable contribution to the work of our association."

David Smith, chief executive officer of Jaguar Land Rover, said: "We are looking forward to working in close partnership with the European automobile manufacturers concerning regulatory and other issues confronting our industry."

The ACEA already represents PSA Peugeot, Citroen, Volkswagen, Fiat, Renault, Scania, DAF, MAN, General Motors Europe, BMW Group, Ford of Europe, Porsche, Volvo and Daimler.