STATEMENT OF THE REASONS ON WHICH THE DECISION IS BASED OR STATED BY THE COMMISSION DURING THE PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT WOULD CONSTITUTE AN EXCEPTIONAL MEASURE OF INQUIRY . SUCH A MEASURE WOULD PRESUPPOSE THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE DECISION IN QUESTION GAVE RISE TO SERIOUS DOUBTS AS TO THE REAL REASONS AND IN PARTICULAR , TO SUSPICIONS THAT THOSE REASONS WERE EXTRANEOUS TO THE OBJECTIVES OF COMMUNITY LAW AND HENCE AMOUNTED TO A MISUSE OF POWERS .
12 IT MUST BE OBSERVED THAT NONE OF THE APPLICANTS HAS SUBMITTED THAT THERE HAS BEEN A MISUSE OF POWERS . FURTHERMORE , EXAMINATION OF THE GROUNDS PUT FORWARD IN THE APPLICATION OF R . J . REYNOLDS INDUSTRIES INC . DOES NOT DISCLOSE ANY CONCLUSIVE ARGUMENTS TO THAT EFFECT .
13 AS REGARDS THE ALLEGED CHANGE OF ASSESSMENT , IT IS APPROPRIATE TO POINT OUT THAT , ACCORDING TO A CONSISTENT LINE OF DECISIONS OF THE COURT , A STATEMENT OF OBJECTIONS IS A PROCEDURAL DOCUMENT OF A PREPARATORY NATURE IN RELATION TO THE DECISION WHICH BRINGS THE PROCEDURE TO A CLOSE . THAT DOCUMENT DELIMITS THE SCOPE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE INITIATED AND THEREBY PREVENTS THE COMMISSION FROM RELYING IN ITS DECISION ON OTHER OBJECTIONS , BUT IT DOES NOT PREVENT THE COMMISSION FROM WITHDRAWING ITS OBJECTIONS AND THEREBY ALTERING ITS STANDPOINT IN FAVOUR OF THE UNDERTAKINGS AGAINST WHICH THE PROCEDURE WAS INITIATED . THE STATEMENT OF OBJECTIONS MUST SET FORTH THE ESSENTIAL FACTS UPON WHICH THE COMMISSION IS RELYING AT THAT STAGE OF THE PROCEDURE AND THE ASSESSMENTS SET OUT BY THE COMMISSION IN THAT DOCUMENT ARE THEREFORE PURELY PROVISIONAL IN CHARACTER . SUBSEQUENTLY , THE ADMINIS TRATIVE PROCEDURE GIVES THE UNDERTAKINGS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN THEMSELVES AND , WHERE APPROPRIATE , TO BRING THE AGREEMENTS OR PRACTICES COMPLAINED OF INTO LINE WITH THE RULES OF THE TREATY . THE COMMISSION MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FACTORS EMERGING FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE IN ORDER EITHER TO ABANDON SUCH OBJECTIONS AS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE UNFOUNDED OR TO AMEND AND SUPPLEMENT ITS ARGUMENTS , BOTH IN FACT AND IN LAW , IN SUPPORT OF THE OBJECTIONS WHICH IT MAINTAINS .
14 IT FOLLOWS THEREFORE FROM PREVIOUS DECISIONS OF THE COURT THAT THE STATEMENT OF OBJECTIONS IS A PROCEDURAL AND PREPARATORY DOCUMENT , INTENDED SOLELY FOR THE UNDERTAKINGS AGAINST WHICH THE PROCEDURE IS INITIATED WITH A VIEW TO ENABLING THEM TO EXERCISE EFFECTIVELY THEIR RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING . THE FACTUAL AND LEGAL ASSESSMENTS SET FORTH IN THAT DOCUMENT ARE PURELY PROVISIONAL AND THE COMMISSION IS UNDER A DUTY TO REVISE THEM IN THE LIGHT OF THE EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED BY THOSE UNDERTAKINGS AND OF ANY AMENDMENTS MADE TO THE AGREEMENTS OR PRACTICES COMPLAINED OF .
15 THE NATURE OF THE STATEMENT OF OBJECTIONS , AS DESCRIBED ABOVE , IS IN NO WAY AFFECTED BY THE COMMISSION ' S FORWARDING A COPY THEREOF TO THE COMPLAINANTS . BY SO DOING , THE COMMISSION DOES NOT IN ANY WAY BECOME COMMITTED