LEAST EXPLAIN CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE APPLICANTS' ACTIONS .
53 MOREOVER A 'REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION INTO INVITATIONS TO TENDER', ANNEX NO 16 TO THE STATEMENT OF DEFENCE IN CASE 44/73, DRAWN UP BY AGENTS OF THE COMMISSION ( DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR COMPETITION ) STATES INTER ALIA THAT 'THE PROCEDURE IN FACT ADOPTED AT INVITATIONS TO TENDER UNDOUBTEDLY ENCOURAGES THE CONCERTED ACTION BY ITALIAN PRODUCERS TO CONTROL ALL IMPORTS OF SUGAR '.
54 FINALLY THE COMMISSION HAS NOT REFUTED CERTAIN STATEMENTS, WHICH ERIDANIA PRODUCED, PARTLY AS EVIDENCE UPON WHICH IT RELIES, NAMELY, ON THE ONE HAND, THAT THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT NEVER CONCEALED THE FACT THAT IT ALWAYS 'WANTED AND REQUESTED' ITALIAN PRODUCERS 'TO TAKE PART IN AND PROCEED ... TO IMPORT THE REQUISITE QUANTITIES OF SUGAR TO MAKE GOOD THE AMOUNT BY WHICH NATIONAL PRODUCTION FALLS SHORT OF DEMAND' AND TO DO SO 'IN A RATIONALIZED WAY' THAT IS TO SAY BY CONCERTED ACTION, AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, THAT THE SAID GOVERNMENT 'ALWAYS PURSUED THE FUNDAMENTAL OBJECTIVE OF A UNIFORM PRICE FOR SUGAR ... BOTH FOR CONSUMPTION AS FOOD AND FOR THE SUGAR PROCESSING INDUSTRY' ( REPLY IN CASE 114/73, P . 57, 78 TO 79; CF . ALSO THE APPLICATION IN THIS CASE, P . 25 ).
55 NOR HAS THE COMMISSION REFUTED THE STATEMENTS, WHICH SUCRES ET DENREES PRODUCED AS EVIDENCE UPON WHICH IT RELIES, THAT, ON THE ONE HAND, A SENIOR ITALIAN OFFICIAL INFORMED SUCRES ET DENREES 'OF THE NEED TO HARMONIZE SUPPLIES ABOVE AND BELOW THE FRANCO-ITALIAN FRONTIER, IN SUCH A WAY THAT A UNIFORM PRICE CAN BE MAINTAINED ON ITALIAN TERRITORY ..., AN ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE ITALIAN AUTHORITIES' AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, THAT 'THE SYSTEM OF INVITATIONS TO TENDER ... WAS ADOPTED AS A MEANS OF OBTAINING SUCH A UNIFORM PRICE, THANKS TO THE UNDERTAKING GIVEN BY THE PRINCIPAL ITALIAN IMPORTER TO MAINTAIN THE SAID UNIFORM PRICE' ( APPLICATION IN CASE 48/73, P . 18 TO 19 ).
56 MOREOVER THESE STATEMENTS TALLY WITH THE AIMS INDICATED IN THE REGULATIONS IN QUESTION, IN THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED TO LIMIT IMPORTS TO THE MINIMUM REQUIRED TO MAKE GOOD THE AMOUNT BY WHICH ITALIAN PRODUCTION FALLS SHORT OF DEMAND, TO HARMONIZE THE COST OF FOREIGN SUGAR WITH THAT OF NATIONAL SUGAR AND TO KEEP PRICES IN ITALY AT A UNIFORM LEVEL AND RELATIVELY LOW .
57 B - APART FROM THESE CONSIDERATIONS THE SAID REGULATIONS - TOGETHER WITH THE INFLUENCE EXERTED BY THE ITALIAN AUTHORITIES ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE PRODUCERS CONCERNED - WERE IN MANY RESPECTS LIKELY TO BRING ABOUT THE CONCENTRATION OF DEMAND IN ITALY IN THE HANDS OF THE LARGE PRODUCERS AND THE FORMATION OF GROUPS OF PRODUCER-IMPORTERS AND ALSO OF SUPPLIER-EXPORTERS .
58 FIRST OF ALL QUOTA RESTRICTIONS ON IMPORTS BENEFITING FROM A REDUCED 'SOVRAPREZZO' CONSIDERED TOGETHER WITH THE RISKS ATTACHING TO THE INVITATIONS TO TENDER WERE LIKELY TO INDUCE THE PERSONS CONCERNED TO SHARE OUT THE SUPPLY AS WELL AS THE DEMAND AND TO COME TO