TO PUBLISH THE INFORMATION RELATING TO THE QUOTA ADJUSTMENTS GRANTED TO UNDERTAKINGS BELONGING TO EUROFER . AS REGARDS UNDERTAKINGS NOT BELONGING TO THAT CONFEDERATION , THE COMMISSION INITIALLY PROVIDED THE CORRESPONDING INFORMATION IN AGGREGATE FORM BUT SUBSEQUENTLY DISCLOSED FIGURES FOR EACH NON-EUROFER UNDERTAKING INDIVIDUALLY , WITH THE EXCEPTION , HOWEVER , OF THE ADJUSTMENTS GRANTED PURSUANT TO ARTICLES 10 , 14 , 14C AND 16 OF THE RELEVANT GENERAL DECISIONS , DECISIONS NOS 2177/83 AND 234/84 .
9 AS FAR AS THOSE FOUR CLASSES OF ADJUSTMENT ARE CONCERNED , THE COMMISSION CONSIDERS THAT IT IS NOT ENTITLED TO DISCLOSE THE FIGURES RELATING TO INDIVIDUAL UNDERTAKINGS WHERE , AS IN THE CASE OF UNDERTAKINGS NOT BELONGING TO EUROFER , THE UNDERTAKINGS IN QUESTION ARE SMALL OR MEDIUM-SIZED . IT CONSIDERS THAT SUCH INFORMATION IS , BY ITS NATURE , A MATTER OF BUSINESS SECRECY ; CONSEQUENTLY , TO DISCLOSE IT WITHOUT THE AGREEMENT OF THE UNDERTAKINGS CONCERNED WOULD BE LIKELY TO EXPOSE THE COMMISSION TO ACTIONS FOR DAMAGES .
10 THE COMMISSION ARGUES THAT THE SUPPLEMENTARY QUOTAS PROVIDED FOR IN ARTICLE 14 OF THE TWO GENERAL DECISIONS AND THE QUOTA ADJUSTMENTS PROVIDED FOR IN ARTICLE 16 OF THE DECISIONS MAY BE GRANTED ONLY WHERE THE UNDERTAKING IN QUESTION IS IN ' EXCEPTIONAL DIFFICULTIES ' ; ACCORDING TO A WELL-ESTABLISHED PRACTICE , THE COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT SUCH DIFFICULTIES EXIST ONLY IN CASES WHERE THE UNDERTAKING IN QUESTION IS MAKING LOSSES . IF THE APPLICATION OF THOSE TWO PROVISIONS TO A SPECIFIC UNDERTAKING WERE DISCLOSED , THE UNDERTAKING IN QUESTION WOULD BE PLACED IN AN EMBARASSING SITUATION VIS-A-VIS ITS CREDITORS AND COMPETITORS . SIMILAR ARGUMENTS CAN , IT MAINTAINS , BE INVOKED AS REGARDS ARTICLES 10 AND 14C OF THE TWO GENERAL DECISIONS . THOSE PROVISIONS PROVIDE FOR QUOTA ADJUSTMENTS FOR UNDERTAKINGS FACED WITH THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS AND CERTAIN ORDERS FOR EXPORTS TO NON-MEMBER COUNTRIES . DISCLOSURE OF SUCH INFORMATION MIGHT REVEAL THE COMMERCIAL STRATEGY OF THE UNDERTAKING CONCERNED AND THUS BE OF ADVANTAGE TO ITS COMPETITORS .
11 THE APPLICANT MAINTAINS THAT BY ADOPTING THAT APPROACH THE COMMISSION HAS MISCONSTRUED THE SCOPE OF BUSINESS SECRECY , WHICH SHOULD BE INTERPRETED IN THE LIGHT OF THE PRIME IMPORTANCE ACCORDED TO THE PRINCIPLE OF PUBLICITY IN THE ECSC TREATY . PUBLICITY IS ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT IN RELATION TO PRODUCTION QUOTAS SINCE IT HELPS TO BRING ABOUT THE MARKET TRANSPARENCY REQUIRED BY THE ECSC TREATY AND MAKES IT EASIER FOR UNDERTAKINGS TO MONITOR THE COMMISSION ' S ADMINISTRATION OF THE QUOTA SYSTEM . THE APPLICANT ARGUES THAT SUCH MONITORING IS NECESSARY IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE THE PROLONGED APPLICATION OF THE QUOTA SYSTEM HAS TRANSFORMED IT INTO A COMMISSION-DIRECTED SYSTEM FROM WHICH THE MECHANISM OF THE MARKET IS EXCLUDED .
12 IT SHOULD BE BORNE IN MIND IN THE FIRST PLACE THAT , UNDER THE SECOND PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 47 OF THE ECSC TREATY , THE HIGH AUTHORITY - NOW THE COMMISSION , FOLLOWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SINGLE