COMMISSION .
16 IT IS NOT NECESSARY , AT THIS STAGE IN THE PROCEEDINGS , TO DETERMINE WHETHER , IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE , THE COMMISSION COULD OR SHOULD HAVE CONCLUDED ITS PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION WITHIN A SHORTER PERIOD THAN THAT INDICATED IN THE ABOVE-MENTIONED JUDGMENT ; IT FOLLOWS , HOWEVER , FROM THE FOREGOING THAT THE FACTUAL AND LEGAL ARGUMENTS PUT FORWARD BY THE COMMISSION ESTABLISH A PRIMA FACIE CASE FOR GRANTING THE MEASURES SOUGHT , AS IS REQUIRED BY ARTICLE 83 OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE .
17 IT IS APPROPRIATE TO CONSIDER NEXT WHETHER THE COMMISSION HAS ALSO BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN DEMONSTRATING THE URGENCY OF THE MATTER , THAT IS TO SAY , THE NEED TO ORDER THE MEASURES REQUESTED , IN ORDER TO PREVENT SERIOUS AND IRREPARABLE HARM DUE TO THE CONTINUATION OF THE DISPUTED PRACTICES FROM OCCURRING WHILST THE MAIN PROCEEDINGS ARE PENDING .
18 IN THAT CONNECTION , THE COMMISSION EMPHASIZES THAT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY THE TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRIES ARE EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES AND COMPETITION BETWEEN MEMBER STATES IS INTENSE . UNDERTAKINGS OF BOTH THOSE INDUSTRIES IN THE OTHER MEMBER STATES WHICH DO NOT BENEFIT FROM AID PROVISIONS COMPARABLE TO THE FRENCH MEASURES ARE LIABLE TO ENCOUNTER , ON THEIR DOMESTIC MARKETS , COMPETITION WHICH IS DISTORTED BY THOSE MEASURES , AND THERE IS A DANGER THAT TRADE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY MAY BE SERIOUSLY AFFECTED . MOREOVER , IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RULE OUT THE THREAT OF AN EXAGGERATED RESPONSE FROM THE OTHER MEMBER STATES IN WHICH A CONSIDERABLE SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY IS IN DANGER OF BEING DISTURBED BY THE FRENCH MEASURES .
19 THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT OBSERVES THAT ON THAT SUBJECT THE COMMISSION ARGUES BY WAY OF ASSERTIONS UNSUPPORTED BY FACTS . IN ACTUAL FACT THE COMMISSION IS NOT , AT PRESENT , IN A POSITION TO APPRAISE THE EFFECTS - WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE - OF ANY AID SCHEME WHATEVER IN THE SECTOR UNDER CONSIDERATION , AS IS BORNE OUT BY A QUESTIONNAIRE ON AID IN FAVOUR OF THE TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY , SENT BY THE COMMISSION TO THE MEMBER STATES IN JUNE 1983 . FOR ITS PART , THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT CLAIMS TO BE IN A POSITION TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE AID SCHEME WHICH IT SET UP IN 1982 HAS NOT SO FAR HAD ANY DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON THE FOREIGN TRADE OF OTHER MEMBER STATES IN THE INDUSTRY UNDER CONSIDERATION . AS EVIDENCE , IT SUBMITS STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON TRENDS OF TRADE BETWEEN THOSE STATES AND THE FRENCH REPUBLIC IN THE TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY IN 1982 AND DURING THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF 1983 . FURTHERMORE , THE ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF THE AID SCHEME ESTABLISHED IN 1982 WAS TO MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT AND NOT TO REVERSE CURRENTS OF TRADE .
20 IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THE QUESTION , IT IS APPROPRIATE TO RECALL THAT , EVEN BEFORE THE PRESENT WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS , THE COMMUNITY ' S TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY HAD ENCOUNTERED STRUCTURAL DIFFICULTIES DUE , IN