The Russian Federation, which had previously just been an observer at OECD Steel Committee meetings, has accepted an invitation to become a full member and participated at the committee's 63rd meeting, which took place on December 3-4, 2007 in Paris.
During the meeting, the other members of the OECD Steel Committee welcomed Russia as a global player in steel rolled products and in the steel raw material industries.
According to A. Pinchuk, head of the industrial policy department in the field of metallurgy at Russia's ministry of energy and industry, Russia's full membership of the OECD Steel Committee allows the country to participate in discussions and decision-making in issues relating to government subsidies to domestic steel producers, and to take action to develop fair competition in the steel market, and also with respect to WTO requirements. The confirmation of Russia's full member status in the committee will also help to support Russian steelmakers' interests and allow the country to participate at the same level as the other members in decision-making regarding the development of the international steel industry.