EVEN IF THOSE ACTIVITIES DO NOT NECESSARILY CONFER ON PIONEER A DECISIVE INFLUENCE ON THE CONDUCT OF EACH OF THE DISTRIBUTORS , THAT DOES NOT ALTER THE FACT THAT , ON ACCOUNT OF ITS CENTRAL POSITION , IT WAS OBLIGED TO DISPLAY PARTICULAR VIGILANCE IN ORDER TO PREVENT CONCERTED EFFORTS OF THAT KIND FROM GIVING RISE TO PRACTICES CONTRARY TO THE COMPETITION RULES .
76 AS FAR AS MELCHERS ' CONDUCT IS CONCERNED , IT IS NOT DISPUTED THAT PIONEER FORWARDED TO THAT DISTRIBUTOR NOT MERELY MR SETTON ' S COMPLAINTS BUT ALSO INFORMATION CONCERNING THE IMPORT LICENCES OBTAINED BY MR IFFLI FROM THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES . IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH A COMMUNICATION APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN AN IMPLIED INCITEMENT TO MELCHERS TO TRY TO DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF THOSE IMPORTS AND TO PUT A STOP TO THEM .
77 AS REGARDS THE ANTWERP MEETING THERE IS NO WRITTEN RECORD OF IT EXCEPT THE LETTERS SENT BY MR TODD OF SHRIRO TO ITS TWO MAIN CUSTOMERS AND THOSE TAKING PART IN THE MEETING WERE UNABLE TO GIVE A CONSISTENT EXPLANATION OF ITS PURPOSE .
78 IN HIS LETTERS OF 28 AND 29 JANUARY 1976 , MR TODD EXPLAINED TO HIS TWO CUSTOMERS THAT HE WAS CALLED TO ANTWERP TO DISCUSS COMPLAINTS BY THE FRENCH DISTRIBUTOR AGAINST PARALLEL IMPORTS ; HE EXPLAINED HOW HE WAS CONFRONTED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE TEST PURCHASES MADE BY MDF WITH THE TWO CUSTOMERS AND HE REGRETTED THAT THEY ' ' HAVE CAUSED MY PRINCIPALS TO LOOK ON ME WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DISFAVOUR ' ' . EVEN IF SUCH LANGUAGE MAY , AS MR TODD MAINTAINED DURING THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE , HAVE BEEN EXAGGERATED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT IN ORDER TO IMPRESS HIS CUSTOMERS , IT ACCORDS WITH OTHER FACTORS WHICH TEND TO PROVE THAT PARALLEL IMPORTS CONSTITUTED AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION AT THE MEETING .
79 THUS IT IS NOT DISPUTED THAT MR SETTON DID INDEED BRING TO THE MEETING THE RESULTS OF THREE TEST PURCHASES WHICH UNDERTAKINGS MANAGED BY HIM HAD MADE FROM BRITISH CUSTOMERS OF SHRIRO AND THAT HE INSISTED ON THE NEED TO PUT A STOP TO PARALLEL IMPORTS TO FRANCE . MOREOVER , IT IS NOT DISPUTED THAT MR TODD ' S LETTERS TO HIS CUSTOMERS WERE A DIRECT CONSEQUENCE OF THAT MEETING AND NOT OF LATER CONTACTS WITH MR SETTON . IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES , PIONEER , WHICH HAD CALLED THE MEETING AND PRESIDED OVER IT , MUST ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT CONSEQUENCE , REGARD BEING HAD TO THE POSITION WHICH IT OCCUPIES IN RELATION TO ITS NATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS , AS DESCRIBED ABOVE .
80 IT MUST THEREFORE BE CONCLUDED THAT THE COMMISSION WAS JUSTIFIED IN FINDING THAT PIONEER HAD PARTICIPATED IN TWO CONCERTED PRACTICES .
( E ) THE MARKET SHARES HELD BY THE APPLICANTS AND THE EFFECT ON TRADE BETWEEN MEMBER STATES
81 IN PARAGRAPH ( 3 ) OF ITS DECISION , THE COMMISSION ESTIMATES THE TOTAL VALUE OF HI-FI PRODUCTS SOLD BY PIONEER