WAY INVALIDATES THAT CONCLUSION . NOWHERE DOES REGULATION NO 974/71 REQUIRE THAT , IN ORDER TO BE REGARDED AS A BASIC PRODUCT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE APPLICATION OF M.C.A.S , A PRODUCT MUST ACTUALLY BE THE SUBJECT OF PUBLIC BUYING-IN OPERATIONS , NOR DOES IT INDICATE THAT THE INITIATION OF A SERIES OF PRIVATE-STORAGE AID OPERATIONS IS NOT SUFFICIENT .
35 ON THE OTHER HAND , IT MUST BE RECOGNIZED THAT , EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY PUBLIC BUYING-IN OPERATIONS , PIGMEAT WAS AND IS SUBJECT TO AN INTERVENTION SCHEME . AS THE COMMISSION HAS RIGHTLY ARGUED , THAT SCHEME IS GOVERNED BY THE BASIC PRICE , SINCE IT IS NOT UNTIL THE COMMUNITY MARKET PRICE IS , AND IS LIKELY TO REMAIN , AT LESS THAN 103% OF THE BASIC PRICE THAT INTERVENTION MEASURES , WHETHER IN THE FORM OF BUYING-IN BY INTERVENTION AGENCIES OR OF AID FOR PRIVATE STORAGE , MAY BE TAKEN PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 4 ( 2 ) OF REGULATION NO 2759/75 .
36 THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BASIC PRICE AND THE TRIGGERING OF INTERVENTION MEASURES ALSO DEMONSTRATES THAT THE BASIC PRICE , FAR FROM BEING ARTIFICIAL IN CHARACTER , CORRESPONDS TO A FACTOR OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE COMMON ORGANIZATION OF THE MARKET IN QUESTION - WITH THE CONSEQUENCE THAT FIRST THE COMMISSION AND THEN THE COUNCIL WERE ENTITLED TO DECIDE THAT M.C.A.S FOR PIGMEAT SHOULD BE CALCULATED BY REFERENCE TO A PROPORTION OF THE BASIC PRICE CORRESPONDING TO THE MINIMUM BUYING-IN PRICE LAID DOWN BY REGULATION NO 2759/75 OR , ONCE REGULATION NO 2025/83 ENTERED INTO FORCE , 90% OF THAT PRICE .
37 IT SHOULD BE ADDED THAT THE FACT OF CHOOSING THE MINIMUM BUYING-IN PRICE AND , LATER , 90% THEREOF AS A POINT OF REFERENCE FOR THE CALCULATION OF M.C.A.S HAD THE EFFECT OF PROGRESSIVELY REDUCING THE BASIS FOR CALCULATING M.C.A.S FOR PIGMEAT ; THE BASIS DECLINED FROM 92% TO AROUND 70% OF THE BASIC PRICE . THAT RESULT IS IN KEEPING WITH THE POLICIES WHICH HAVE LONG BEEN EXPRESSED BY THE DEFENDANT INSTITUTIONS , OF PROGRESSIVELY DISMANTLING M.C.A.S .
38 THE ADOPTION IN PURSUANCE OF THOSE AIMS OF A NEW METHOD OF CALCULATING M.C.A.S FOR PIGMEAT , AS PRESCRIBED BY REGULATION NO 855/84 , AND THE CONSEQUENT REDUCTION OF THOSE AMOUNTS , MAY NOT IN ANY EVENT SERVE TO CAST DOUBT ON EARLIER DECISIONS , WHICH WERE ADOPTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS PREVAILING AT THAT TIME .
39 IT IS SIMILARLY IRRELEVANT IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS DISPUTE TO POINT - AS THE APPLICANTS HAVE DONE - EITHER TO THE METHOD OF CALCULATING THE IMPORT LEVY OR TO THE ' ACCESSION ' COMPENSATORY AMOUNTS PRESCRIBED BY ARTICLE 75 ( 1 ) OF THE 1972 ACCESSION TREATY .
40 INDEED , AS THE COURT HELD IN ITS JUDGMENT OF 21 FEBRUARY 1979 ( CASE 113/78 SCHOUTEN ( 1979 ) ECR 695 ), THE AIM OF THE AGRICULTURAL LEVY IS TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DIFFERENCE