THE COMMISSION ITSELF BASED ITS DECISION ON FACTORS CONCERNING THE MICHELIN GROUP AS A WHOLE , SUCH AS ITS TECHNOLOGICAL LEAD AND FINANCIAL STRENGTH WHICH , IN THE APPLICANT ' S VIEW , RELATE TO A MUCH WIDER MARKET OR EVEN THE WORLD MARKET . THE ACTIVITIES OF MICHELIN NV ' S MAIN COMPETITORS ARE WORLD-WIDE TOO .
24 THE COMMISSION MAINTAINS THAT THIS OBJECTION CONCERNS LESS THE DEFINITION OF THE MARKET THAN THE CRITERIA USED TO ESTABLISH THE EXISTENCE OF A DOMINANT POSITION . SINCE TYRE MANUFACTURERS HAVE ON THE WHOLE CHOSEN TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS ON THE VARIOUS NATIONAL MARKETS THROUGH THE INTERMEDIARY OF NATIONAL SUBSIDIARIES , THE COMPETITION FACED BY MICHELIN NV IS ON THE NETHERLANDS MARKET .
25 THE POINT TO BE MADE IN THIS REGARD IS THAT THE COMMISSION ADDRESSED ITS DECISION NOT TO THE MICHELIN GROUP AS A WHOLE BUT ONLY TO ITS NETHERLANDS SUBSIDIARY WHOSE ACTIVITIES ARE CONCENTRATED ON THE NETHERLANDS MARKET . IT HAS NOT BEEN DISPUTED THAT MICHELIN NV ' S MAIN COMPETITORS ALSO CARRY ON THEIR ACTIVITIES IN THE NETHERLANDS THROUGH NETHERLANDS SUBSIDIARIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GROUPS .
26 THE COMMISSION ' S ALLEGATION CONCERNS MICHELIN NV ' S CONDUCT TOWARDS TYRE DEALERS AND MORE PARTICULARLY ITS DISCOUNT POLICY . IN THIS REGARD THE COMMERCIAL POLICY OF THE VARIOUS SUBSIDIARIES OF THE GROUPS COMPETING AT THE EUROPEAN OR EVEN THE WORLD LEVEL IS GENERALLY ADAPTED TO THE SPECIFIC CONDITIONS EXISTING ON EACH MARKET . IN PRACTICE DEALERS ESTABLISHED IN THE NETHERLANDS OBTAIN THEIR SUPPLIES ONLY FROM SUPPLIERS OPERATING IN THE NETHERLANDS . THE COMMISSION WAS THEREFORE RIGHT TO TAKE THE VIEW THAT THE COMPETITION FACING MICHELIN NV IS MAINLY ON THE NETHERLANDS MARKET AND THAT IT IS AT THAT LEVEL THAT THE OBJECTIVE CONDITIONS OF COMPETITION ARE ALIKE FOR TRADERS .
27 THIS FINDING IS NOT RELATED TO THE QUESTION WHETHER IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES FACTORS RELATING TO THE POSITION OF THE MICHELIN GROUP AND ITS COMPETITORS AS A WHOLE AND TO A MUCH WIDER MARKET MAY ENTER INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE ADOPTION OF A DECISION AS TO WHETHER A DOMINANT POSITION EXISTS ON THE RELEVANT PRODUCT MARKET .
28 HENCE THE RELEVANT SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE COMMON MARKET IN THIS CASE IS THE NETHERLANDS AND IT IS AT THE LEVEL OF THE NETHERLANDS MARKET THAT MICHELIN NV ' S POSITION MUST BE ASSESSED .
( 2 ) ASSESSMENT OF MICHELIN NV ' S POSITION IN RELATION TO ITS COMPETITORS
29 BEFORE THE SUBMISSIONS AND ARGUMENTS REGARDING THE ASSESSMENT OF MICHELIN NV ' S POSITION IN RELATION TO ITS COMPETITORS ARE EXAMINED MORE CLOSELY IT SHOULD BE RECALLED , AS THE COURT HAS REPEATEDLY HELD , MOST RECENTLY IN ITS JUDGMENT OF 13 FEBRUARY 1979 IN CASE 85/76 HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE V COMMISSION ( 1979 ) ECR 461 , THAT ARTICLE 86 OF THE TREATY IS AN APPLICATION OF THE GENERAL AIM OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMUNITY LAID DOWN BY ARTICLE 3 ( F ) OF THE TREATY , NAMELY THE