Brussels, 13/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - European Commissioner Pascal Lamy has convened representatives of the European textiles and clothing industry to take part, this Friday 14 April, in a round table in view of sketching out a strategy to improve their access to third country markets. Surveys undertaken by the Commission show an asymmetry in this field between the Union and the rest of the world: its market is being steadily opened to imports but the European industry remains confronted with "significant trade barriers" that prevent it from expanding abroad. This Friday's round table will be an opportunity for a discussion between Pascal Lamy and a delegation on industrialists led by Jean de Jaegher, President of Euratex (EU Textiles and Clothing Industry Federation), over initiatives and options that could be envisaged to improve the situation, through reductions of tariffs by other countries and the elimination of non-tariff barriers. The two parties are also to turn to the impact of the decision relating to the "third stage integration" provided for by the 1994 ATV Agreement, on the European strategy for market access. This decision, which has to be taken before the end of the year in the framework of the WTO, concerns 18% of Union imports.