TO THE LOWEST FREE-AT-FRONTIER PRICE WAS SUITED TO THE ATTAINMENT OF THOSE OBJECTIVES BECAUSE IT AVOIDED THE NEED TO SET UP A HIGHLY COMPLEX SYSTEM OF DATA GATHERING AND CALCULATION WHICH WOULD HAVE DELAYED THE ADOPTION OF THE MEASURES PROVIDED FOR IN THAT ARTICLE .
16 THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT FURTHER COMPLAINS THAT THE COMMISSION DID NOT TAKE ACCOUNT OF EXPORTS WHICH WERE EXCEPTIONAL EITHER BECAUSE OF THE VERY HIGH PRICE AT WHICH THEY WERE MADE OR BECAUSE OF THEIR EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH QUALITY WHICH WAS REFLECTED IN THE PRICE .
17 WITH REGARD TO THAT POINT IT IS SUFFICIENT TO NOTE THAT THE LOWEST FREE-AT-FRONTIER PRICE USED BY THE COMMISSION RELATES TO REPRESENTATIVE QUANTITIES OF NON-DENATURED ETHYL ALCOHOL OF AGRICULTURAL ORIGIN AND THAT THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT HAS NOT SHOWN THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE . ITS SECOND SUBMISSION MUST THEREFORE ALSO BE REJECTED .
18 IN ITS THIRD SUBMISSION, THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ARGUES THAT THE FOURTH RECITAL IN THE PREAMBLE TO REGULATION NO 2541/84 PROCEEDS ON A FALSE ASSUMPTION IN PROVIDING FOR A COMPARISON BETWEEN, ON THE ONE HAND, THE EXPORT PRICE, AND, ON THE OTHER, "AN EQUILIBRIUM PRICE WHICH MAY BE CONSIDERED THE NORMAL PRICE FOR DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED NON-DENATURED ALCOHOL ON THE MARKETS OF THE COMMUNITY WHEN COMPETITION IS NOT DISTORTED", SINCE MARKET PRICES FOR ALCOHOL VARY FROM ONE MEMBER STATE TO ANOTHER .
19 THE COMMISSION CORRECTLY POINTS OUT THAT THE METHOD IT ADOPTED, THAT OF DETERMINING A SINGLE EQUILIBRIUM PRICE, ENABLED THE OBJECTIVES PURSUED BY ARTICLE 46 TO BE ACHIEVED WHILE AVOIDING THE NEED TO DETERMINE AN EQUILIBRIUM PRICE FOR EACH MEMBER STATE, WHICH WOULD IN TURN HAVE NECESSITATED ADJUSTMENTS IN THE FORM OF SURCHARGES AND REBATES FOR TRADE IN FRENCH ALCOHOL BETWEEN MEMBER STATES OTHER THAN FRANCE, AND IS PROPORTIONATE TO THOSE OBJECTIVES SINCE THE THEORETICAL EQUILIBRIUM PRICE WAS SET AT A PRUDENTLY LOW LEVEL WITHIN THE RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES .
20 IT FOLLOWS FROM THIS THAT THE THIRD SUBMISSION MUST ALSO BE REJECTED .
21 IN ITS FOURTH SUBMISSION THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ARGUES THAT REFERENCE TO THE TREND IN THE PRICE OF CANE MOLASSES FOR THE PURPOSE OF CALCULATING THE EQUILIBRIUM PRICE DEFINED IN THE FOURTH RECITAL OF THE PREAMBLE TO REGULATION NO 2541/84 IS INCORRECT BECAUSE THE PRICE FOR CANE MOLASSES DOES NOT INFLUENCE PRODUCTION PRICES FOR COMMUNITY ALCOHOL, WHICH IS MAINLY PRODUCED FROM BEET MOLASSES .
22 AS THE COMMISSION CORRECTLY NOTES, THE PRICE FOR BEET MOLASSES AND THE PRICE FOR SUGAR-CANE MOLASSES TEND TO RISE AND FALL TOGETHER, AS IS SHOWN BY STATISTICS FOR THE PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 1984 TO MAY 1986 WHICH WERE PRODUCED IN THE COURSE OF THE PROCEDURE AND WHICH THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT WAS NOT ABLE SERIOUSLY TO CHALLENGE AT THE HEARING . REFERENCE TO THE PRICE OF IMPORTED CANE MOLASSES IN THE CALCULATION OF THE EQUILIBRIUM PRICE FOR ALCOHOL MUST THEREFORE BE REGARDED AS PERMISSIBLE EVEN IF CANE MOLASSES IS USED ONLY TO A LIMITED EXTENT IN ALCOHOL PRODUCTION .
23 IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING CONSIDERATIONS IT