1 JANUARY 1982 BY MAKING THEM SUBJECT TO THE ISSUE OF AN EXPORT CERTIFICATE . WHEN THE QUOTA SYSTEM WAS INTRODUCED , THE COMMUNITY AUTHORITIES THUS HAD A MEANS OF ENSURING THAT THE PREFERENTIAL QUOTA WAS RESPECTED . FURTHERMORE , EACH IMPORTER WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN INFORMATION AS TO HOW MUCH OF THE QUOTA HAD BEEN USED AND TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE TRANSACTION WHICH HE ENVISAGED HAD ANY CHANGE OF BEING CARRIED OUT AT THE PREFERENTIAL RATE OF LEVY . THERE WAS THUS NO NEED TO MAKE THE SAME FACILITIES REGARDING CANCELLATION OF LICENCES AND RELEASE OF SECURITY AVAILABLE TO THOSE IMPORTERS .
20 IT MUST BE POINTED OUT THAT IN 1982 IMPORTERS OF MANIOC FROM THAILAND OR OTHER NON-MEMBER COUNTRIES WERE SUBJECT TO THE SAME LEGAL RULES LAID DOWN BY REGULATION NO 2727/75 OF THE COUNCIL AND COMMISSION REGULATION NO 3183/80 . THEY WERE ALL AFFECTED BY THE CONCLUSION OF QUOTA AGREEMENTS WITH THAILAND , INDONESIA AND BRAZIL , WHICH LIMITED THEIR PREVIOUSLY UNLIMITED RIGHT TO IMPORT AT A PREFERENTIAL RATE OF LEVY OF 6% , AS PROVIDED FOR IN ARTICLE 1 OF COUNCIL REGULATION NO 2646/82 .
21 WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR MANAGING THE 1982 QUOTAS WERE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN REGARD TO THAILAND THAN IN REGARD TO THE OTHER NON-MEMBER COUNTRIES , THAT CIRCUMSTANCE , CONTRARY TO THE COMMISSION ' S VIEW , IN NO WAY SHOWS THAT THE SITUATION OF IMPORTERS OF MANIOC FROM THAILAND WAS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF IMPORTERS OF MANIOC FROM OTHER NON-MEMBER COUNTRIES . IT IS CLEAR FROM THE DOCUMENTS BEFORE THE COURT THAT UNTIL 22 JULY 1982 , THE COMMUNITY RULES DID NOT TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE SYSTEM OF EXPORT CONTROLS ESTABLISHED BY THE THAI AUTHORITIES AND CONSEQUENTLY IMPORTERS IN THE COMMUNITY WERE NOT REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THAT SYSTEM . IN THE PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT IT WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED THAT THE COMMUNITY AUTHORITIES DID NOT KNOW AT THE TIME THAT THE NEW RULES ENTERED INTO FORCE WHETHER THE EXPORT CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY THE THAI AUTHORITIES COVERED QUANTITIES ALREADY IN EXCESS OF THE QUOTA .
22 IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES , IT MUST BE ACCEPTED THAT THE LEGAL RULES APPLICABLE IN 1982 TO IMPORTS OF MANIOC FROM THAILAND CORRESPONDED VERY CLOSELY TO THOSE GOVERNING IMPORTS OF MANIOC FROM OTHER NON-MEMBER COUNTRIES AT THE SAME PERIOD . THE CONCERN TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF LEGITIMATE EXPECTATIONS , WHICH ACCORDING TO THE THIRD RECITAL IN THE PREAMBLE TO REGULATION NO 2655/82 PROMPTED THE ADOPTION OF ARTICLE 3 ( 6 ) OF THAT REGULATION IN FAVOUR OF IMPORTERS OF MANIOC FROM NON-MEMBER COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THAILAND , SHOULD THEREFORE ALSO HAVE PROVIDED A JUSTIFICATION FOR SIMILAR MEASURES IN FAVOUR OF IMPORTERS OF MANIOC FROM THAILAND .
23 IN THE SECOND PLACE THEREFORE , THE COURT MUST CONSIDER WHETHER THE LEGAL RULES APPLICABLE TO IMPORTERS OF MANIOC FROM THAILAND CONTAINS AN OMISSION INCOMPATIBLE WITH A GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF COMMUNITY LAW WHICH MAY BE MADE GOOD BY AN APPLICATION BY ANALOGY OF ARTICLE