DURATION OF THE AGREEMENT, WHICH WAS ENTERED INTO FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS AND " SHALL AGAIN TAKE EFFECT WHEN THE LATTER IS NO LONGER IN FORCE ".
13 FINALLY, IN VIEW OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROBLEMS RAISED BY THE APPLICATION OF PROTOCOL I.7 FROM THE POINT OF VIEW BOTH OF THE COMMON ORGANIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL MARKETS AND OF THE COMMON COMMERCIAL POLICY, THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT AS TO THE LEGAL INTEREST IN THE ACTION BROUGHT BY THE COMMISSION .
II - THE SUBSTANCE
14 IN THE COMMISSION' S VIEW THE INTRODUCTION BY MEANS OF REGULATION NO 136/66 OF A COMMON ORGANIZATION OF THE MARKET IN OILS AND FATS, CHARACTERIZED IN PARTICULAR BY THE COLLECTION OF LEVIES, PUT AN END TO THE " CUSTOMS TREATMENT " APPLICABLE UNDER PROTOCOL I.7 TO IMPORTS INTO FRANCE OF OLIVE OIL ORIGINATING IN TUNISIA .
15 THE DEFENDANT RELIES ON THE SAME PROTOCOL, HAVING REGARD TO ITS PURPOSE, IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY THE CONTINUATION OF A SYSTEM OF EXEMPTION IN FAVOUR OF SUCH IMPORTS NOTWITHSTANDING THE INTRODUCTION OF A LEVY BY REGULATION 136/66, UNTIL THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE TUNISIAN REPUBLIC .
16 PROTOCOL I.7 HAS THE PURPOSE OF PRESERVING EXISTING PATTERNS OF TRADE BETWEEN ON THE ONE HAND CERTAIN MEMBER STATES AND ON THE OTHER HAND VARIOUS THIRD COUNTRIES WITH WHICH THESE STATES MAINTAIN TRADITIONAL LINKS .
17 AS REGARDS MORE PARTICULARLY THE INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES BELONGING TO THE FRANC AREA - INCLUDING THE TUNISIAN REPUBLIC - A DECLARATION OF INTENT ANNEXED TO THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, AFTER EXPRESSING THE ANXIETY " TO MAINTAIN AND INTENSIFY THE TRADITIONAL TRADE FLOWS BETWEEN THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND THESE INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE LATTER ", OFFERS THESE COUNTRIES NEGOTIATIONS WITH A VIEW TO CONCLUDING CONVENTIONS FOR ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION WITH THE COMMUNITY .
18 IT THEREFORE SEEMS THAT THE INTENTION ENVINCED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT OF AVOIDING ANY MEASURE WHICH MIGHT HAVE LED TO A DETERIORATION OF COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH TUNISIA IN THE SECTOR IN QUESTION IN THE PRESENT ACTION, IS BASED ON THE OBJECTIVES OF BOTH PROTOCOL I.7 AND THE AFOREMENTIONED DECLARATION OF INTENT .
19 NEVERTHELESS, AFTER THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF REGULATION NO 136/66 THIS OBJECTIVE COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY MEANS WHICH ARE IN CONFORMITY WITH THE NEW SITUATION CREATED BY THAT REGULATION .
20 REGULATION NO 136/66 IMPLEMENTING ARTICLE 40 OF THE TREATY, ESTABLISHED A COMMON ORGANIZATION OF THE MARKET IN OILS AND FATS BASED ON A PRICE POLICY WHICH IS DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH A NUMBER OF OBJECTIVES CONCERNING THE LEVEL OF AGRICULTURAL INCOME, THE PUTTING INTO EFFECT OF A COHERENT PRODUCTION POLICY, COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS OF TRADE IN THE DIFFERENT OILS AND FATS, THE STABILIZATION OF THE MARKETS AND THE FIXING OF AN APPROPRIATE PRICE LEVEL TO CONSUMERS .
21 THIS POLICY IS PUT INTO EFFECT BY MEANS OF A COMPLEX