193According to the applicant, the requirement to provide a precise definition of public service obligations also derives from the Community guidelines on State aid to maritime transport. Although the Community guidelines on State aid to maritime transport do not have the character of rules of law which the administration is always bound to observe, they nevertheless set forth rules of conduct indicating the practice to be followed, from which the administration may not depart without giving the reasons which have led it to do so, since otherwise the principles of equality of treatment would be infringed (see to that effect the judgments in Case 148/73 Louwage v Commission [1974] ECR 81, paragraph 12, in Case 343/82 Michael v Commission [1983] ECR 4023, paragraph 14, and in Joined Cases 80/81 to 83/81 and 182/82 to 185/82 Adam and Others v Commission [1984] ECR 3411, paragraph 22).
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