High-level officials of the EU 133 Committee meeting in Oulu

Press release 397/2006
3 October, 2006

A meeting of the European Union 133 Committee at the high official level dealing with EU trade policy questions will take place in Oulu on 5-6 October. This meeting will be hosted by Mr Pekka Huhtaniemi, State Under-Secretary for External Economic Relations in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, who will act as the chairperson of the EU 133 Committee during Finland's Presidency of the European Union. In addition to the actual meeting, the EU member state representatives in the 133 Committee will during their visit be introduced to technology know-how in Oulu and meet some of the City of Oulu's management.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Europe's competitiveness in the globalising world economy in the perspective of trade policy. Unofficial meetings of the 133 Committee are organised once during the Presidency of each member state. It is part of the nature of the unofficial meetings that no actual decisions will be made.

The EU 133 Committee is a central organ preparing trade political issues in the EU, its high level trade political representatives meeting in Brussels once a month, while the deputy level lower officials meet weekly. The Committee prepares EU decision-making in questions concerning our commercial relationships with third countries, including the current trade round of the World Trade Organisation.

Further information: First Secretary Pekka Kosonen, Department for External Economic Relations, tel. + 358 9 1605 5598