Automatic selection was previously determined by two separate lists.
Three players got in as a result of performances solely on the DP World Tour and three more via a list of world ranking points collected in the qualification period.
European Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings described the changes as a “major milestone”.
“This is without question a much cleaner and simpler qualification system than the ones utilised in previous years,” he said.
The qualifying period will begin at the British Masters, starting at The Belfry on 29 August.
Points can only be earned in 2024 in DP World Tour events, which should encourage the continent’s biggest stars to play on this side of the Atlantic.
Tournaments on the PGA Tour will count towards European qualifying from the new year, with the high-end ‘Signature Events’ as well as The Players Championship and FedEx Cup play-offs each carrying 3,000 qualifying points.
The four majors count even more heavily – the Masters, US PGA, US Open and The Open are each worth 5,000 points – and are likely to be Rahm and Hatton’s best chances to make the team automatically.
The DP World Tour’s elite Rolex Series tournaments carry 2,000 points, the same value as standard PGA Tour competitions.
“A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to get to this point and everything is now focused on doing all we can to retain the trophy in New York next September,” said Donald.
The qualifying period will run until Sunday, 24 August 2025. The concluding tournament for that date has yet to be decided.