08/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - As we had predicted (see EUROPE of 26 September, p;11), the EU's Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), composed of EU 15 experts responsible for preparing the work of the Ecofin Council and of the Eurogroup, has decided to appoint Johnny Akerholm, from Finland, as its chairman to replace Mario Draghi. The appointment of Mr Akerholm, who was hitherto Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs, breaks with a long tradition that reserved this post to one of the four Member States belonging to the group of seven most industrialised countries (G7). The link with the G7 will not be lost, however, as German Secretary of State for Finance, Caio Koch-Weiser, will become the Committee's vice-chairman. Before entering the Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs, Mr Akerhom was Under-Secretary of State for Economic Affairs and worked at the department of economics at the Bank of Finland.