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Edinburgh and Glasgow could lose their automatic pass into European rugby’s premier competition after elite clubs in England and France announced their intention to quit the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup and form their own European competitions.

The top-flight sides from both countries served notice to quit the current European competition structure, which includes the second-tier Amlin Challenge Cup, in June last year.

They want changes to the structure of both continental competitions, principally over the number of teams involved, the qualifying process and how funds are distributed.

Negotiations with European Rugby Cup - organisers of the two competitions - have been deadlocked for some time.

While finishing in the top six of the RaboDirect Pro12 would still guarentee qualification, only Glasgow have managed this over the past four seasons with Edinburgh finishing in the bottom half of the table since finishing second in 2009.

Now Premiership Rugby, representing the English clubs, and its French counterpart Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), have decided it is time to make alternative arrangements.

A statement from Premiership Rugby read: “The 2013-14 Aviva Premiership Rugby season kicked off this weekend with our clubs having no clear view of new European competitions from next season onwards.

“The current European Rugby Cup (ERC) competitions terminate at the end of this season after notice was served by the English and French clubs in June 2012.

“Despite numerous meetings between the stakeholders over the last year, the last of which was in May, discussions have been unsuccessful and the clubs can only conclude that negotiations on any new European agreement have now ended.”

The English and French say clubs from other countries will be welcome to participate in their new competitions.

They propose that two new competitions of 20 clubs be formed with qualification based on league placings in England, France and the RaboDirect Pro12.

At present they feel the format gives an unfair advantage to teams from the Pro12, which features teams from Europe’s four other main nations. For instance two Scottish and two Italian teams are guaranteed Heineken Cup entry.

The English and French clubs have not ruled out staying with ERC but are clear that the time for procrastination is over.