NEWS RELEASES

December 18, 2001 (4:55 p.m. EST) No. 166

PETTIGREW PARTICIPATES IN

CANADA-EUROPE ROUND TABLE FOR BUSINESS

International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew today met with business leaders from the Canada-Europe Round Table for Business (CERT) to discuss priorities and concerns relevant to both markets. The CERT meeting was organized following the Canada-EU Summit.

"The European Union is a high priority for Canada and Canadian business firms," said Minister Pettigrew. "Even though trade and investment flows reached record levels in 2000, we believe there is still scope for expansion. We need to continue our dialogue in order to intensify that important relationship."

The year 2001 marks the 25th anniversary of the Canada-European Commission Framework Agreement for Commercial and Economic Cooperation that was created to expand bilateral economic relations between Canada and the EU, and the fifth anniversary of the Canada-EU Action Plan, which extended cooperation to a full range of non-economic issues.

CERT was founded in 1999 by European and Canadian companies to promote closer links between the respective business communities and to influence government policy on issues of relevance to their transatlantic business interests. CERT is the only business organization devoted to Canada-EU relations.

More information on CERT is available at http://www.canada-europe.org/

For further information on the issues being discussed, please consult the Canada-European Union tariff elimination study available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Web site at http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/english/geo/europe/EU/Canada-EUFTAStudy-english.pdf

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sébastien Théberge

Office of the Minister for International Trade

(613) 992-7332

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca