Huhtamaki Acquires Van Leer Group Foundation's Shareholding Through
Dutch Subsidiary

Huhtamaki Finance B.V., a Dutch subsidiary of the Finnish-based
packaging company Huhtamäki Oyj ("Huhtamaki"), has agreed to purchase
the parent company's shares currently held by Stichting Van Leer Group
Foundation. The Dutch institution is one of the company's two principal
shareholders.

The transaction results from the Foundation's desire to find a new owner
for the shares, which it bought in 1999 following Huhtamaki's public
offer for Royal Packaging Industries Van Leer N.V. The Foundation's
shareholding in Huhtamaki amounts to 4.6 million shares or 14.6% of the
shares outstanding.

Huhtamaki Finance B.V. will pay EUR 34.59 per share, the trade-weighted
average price on Helsinki Exchanges for the two weeks preceding Friday,
September 7. Hence, the total consideration will be approx. EUR 159
million.

Stichting Van Leer Group Foundation wanted to sell its Huhtamaki shares,
because the original reason for becoming a shareholder no longer
applied. Earlier this year, Huhtamaki sold the Van Leer industrial
packaging division and had to stop using the Huhtamaki Van Leer name
adopted in late 1999. Mr. Ivar Samrén, Deputy Chairman of Huhtamaki's
Board of Directors, and the Foundation's other representative in
Huhtamaki's Board, Mr. Harry Leliveld, have announced their immediate
resignation from the Board.

Huhtamaki has recently conducted a share repurchase program for 1.6
million shares or 5% of the shares outstanding. The present transaction
will bring the amount of shares held by the parent company or its
subsidiaries to almost 20% of the total.

As soon as the present transation is technically completed, Huhtamaki's
Board will address its consequences. An extraordinary shareholders'
meeting is required for a reduction in the company's share capital
through invalidating the repurchased shares. The change in the company's
ownership structure will also prompt amendments to its Articles of
Association.

CEO Timo Peltola's comment

"The repurchase of the Huhtamaki shares held by the Van Leer Group
Foundation will be beneficial for all shareholders. It will strongly
enhance earnings per share, as the reduction in the number of shares
will clearly outweigh the cost of serving new debt associated with the
transaction. At the same time, the company's balance sheet structure and
level of debt will reach our long-term target level," said Huhtamaki's
CEO, Mr. Timo Peltola.

Analyst and media conference

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