20/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - The opinion for the opening of a Community investigation into the conditions for the importing of cotton thread from Syria appeared in the Official Journal C199. This investigation, lead under the regulation concerning the joint scheme applicable to textile imports from third countries not covered by bilateral agreements or arrangements (N°517/94), is aimed the tracing the facts concerning the sudden rise in imports seen over recent years. Syrian deliveries, whose level was nearly zero in 1996, last year represented 10% of all the Community imports of cotton thread. The present control was already announced by the European Commission last April, at the same time as its intention to institute a monitoring system, foreseeing to couple Syrian imports with licences, in order to ensure their traceability (see EUROPE of 6 April, p.9).