ADDUCE STATISTICS IN SUPPORT OF THEIR VIEW . THEY PRODUCE IN PARTICULAR A TABLE OF STATISTICS CONTAINED IN THE ANNEX TO THEIR OBSERVATIONS WHICH COMPARES THE AVERAGE MONTHLY LEVEL OF EXPORTS ACTUALLY EFFECTED , CALCULATED ON THE BASIS OF EXPORTS IN 1982 , 1983 AND 1984 , AND THE LICENCES GRANTED IN MARCH , APRIL AND MAY 1986 . SINCE THE FIGURES DERIVED FROM THE LICENCES WERE HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE MONTHLY LEVEL OF EXPORTS THE DEFENDANTS CONCLUDE THAT EXPORTS TO THE COMMUNITY OF TEN HAVE INCREASED SLIGHTLY SINCE 1 MARCH 1986 .
23 THE DEFENDANTS ALSO CONTEND THAT EVEN IF IT IS SHOWN THAT SPANISH EXPORTS OF VITICULTURAL PRODUCTS HAVE FALLEN SINCE THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE STM , THAT FALL SHOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE IMPUTED TO THE MECHANISM . THE FALL COULD EASILY BE EXPLAINED BY THE CHANGE IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH EXPORTS , WHICH MAY HAVE ENCOURAGED EXPORTERS EITHER TO ADVANCE THEIR EXPORTS SO AS TO EFFECT THEM BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF THOSE ARRANGEMENTS OR TO DEFER THEIR EXPORTS UNTIL THEY HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONED .
24 IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST MADE TO IT AT THE HEARING IN CASE 119/86 R , THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF THIS CASE , THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN SUBMITTED TO THE COURT THE FIGURES FOR JANUARY , FEBRUARY AND MAY 1986 , WHICH COMPLETE THE FIRST TABLE OF STATISTICS REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 20 OF THIS ORDER .
25 IN THE LIGHT OF THE FOREGOING CONSIDERATIONS , IT MUST BE STATED THAT THE FIGURES PRODUCED BY THE PARTIES TO THE PROCEEDINGS DIVERGE TO A LARGE DEGREE AND LEAD TO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE CONCLUSIONS . IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS SERIOUS AND IRREPARABLE DAMAGE IT THEREFORE APPEARS NECESSARY TO CONSIDER CLOSELY THE STATISTICS PROVIDED BY THE TWO PARTIES .
26 IN THAT RESPECT IT MUST BE RECOGNIZED THAT , AS THE APPLICANT RIGHTLY POINTED OUT AT THE HEARING , IN THE FIGURES WHICH THEY HAVE SUBMITTED TO THE COURT THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS HAVE COMPARED TWO ELEMENTS WHICH DO NOT APPEAR TO BE COMPARABLE , NAMELY THE NUMBER OF IMPORTS ACTUALLY EFFECTED AND THE APPLICATIONS FOR LICENCES . THE ISSUE OF A LICENCE IN ONE MONTH DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THE IMPORTATION TOOK PLACE DURING THAT MONTH BUT MERELY THAT IT MAY TAKE PLACE DURING THE FOUR MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF ISSUE SINCE ARTICLE 3 OF REGULATION NO 647/86 PROVIDES THAT THE LICENCE IS TO BE VALID FOR FOUR MONTHS FROM THE DAY ON WHICH IT WAS APPLIED FOR . IT WOULD THEREFORE SEEM THAT PRIMA FACIE THE CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THOSE STATISTICS BY THE DEFENDANTS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED .
27 WITH REGARD TO THE STATISTICS PRODUCED BY THE APPLICANT , IT MUST BE STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THEY APPEAR TO CONTAIN INFORMATION WHICH IS RELEVANT IN ASSESSING WHETHER OR NOT SERIOUS AND IRREPARABLE DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED THEY ARE , NEVERTHELESS , NOT SUFFICIENT TO ESTABLISH