UPDATE 1-Incentives lift European car sales - ACEA

* European new car sales up 2.4 percent in June

* First increase in 14 months

* Sales down 11 percent over first 6 months (Adds further details)

By Helen Massy-Beresford

PARIS, July 15 (Reuters) - European new car sales rose 2.4 percent in June, boosted by scrapping incentive schemes in several member states, the first increase in 14 months for the crisis-hit industry, industry body ACEA said on Wednesday.

ACEA noted that the "steep downward trend" of sales started in May 2008, and that in June last year sales were down 7.9 percent compared with June 2007. In June this year, a total of 1,461,859 vehicles were registered.

In the first six months of the year, passenger car sales were down 11 percent in Europe, which for ACEA's figures includes the 27 EU member states, plus the EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries, but excludes Cyprus and Malta.

New member states saw a 25.3 percent fall in sales in June, with growth only in the Czech Republic and Slovakia -- up 18 percent and 57.4 percent respectively.

In Western Europe, sales rose 4.6 percent in June. Most countries with incentive schemes -- whereby drivers get cash bonuses for trading in old models for newer, greener cars -- posted growth.