Brussels, 19/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - The enlargement of the EU, the liberalisation of the trade regime for textiles and clothing in 2005 and the resulting employment implications and human resources challenges will be discussed at the "Future of the textiles and clothing industries in an enlarged Europe" conference, organised in Brussels on 20 March by the Commission and the social partners within the sector. Erkki Liikanen, the European Enterprise Commissioner, believes that "EU enlargement is a challenge, but also a huge opportunity for industry. For the textile and clothing sector, enlargement will coincide with changes in the trade regime that may also require adjustments to products, markets and business strategies". The objective is to analyse the impact of Community policies on the textile and clothing sector, to ensure that the EU's horizontal industrial policy adequately supports the competitiveness of the sector. The conference will be the first stage of the monitoring process announced last December in the Commission's communication on industrial policy in an enlarged Europe (see EUROPE of 17 December 2002).