70Any trader on the part of whom an institution has promoted reasonable expectations may rely on the principle of the protection of legitimate expectations. However, if a prudent and circumspect trader could have foreseen that the adoption of a Community measure is likely to affect his interests, he cannot plead that principle if the measure is adopted (Case 265/85 Van den Bergh en Jürgens and Van Dijk Food Products y Commission [1987] ECR 1155, paragraph 44, and Case C-22/94 Irish Farmers Association and Others [1997] ECR I-1809, paragraph 25). Furthermore, while the principle of protection of legitimate expectations is one of the fundamental principles of the Community, traders are not justified in having a legitimate expectation that an existing situation which is capable of being altered by the Community institutions in the exercise of their discretionary power will be maintained, particularly in an area such as that of the common organisation of the markets, the objective of which involves constant adjustment to reflect changes in economic circumstances (see, in particular, Case C-104/97 P Atlanta v European Community [1999] ECR I-6983, paragraph 52).
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