ACCORDINGLY, THE PURPOSE OF THAT ARTICLE IS, INTER ALIA, TO LIMIT THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF THE COMMUNITIES .
19 THE COMMISSION CONTENDS THAT THE PROVISION AGAINST THE OVERLAPPING OF BENEFITS WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY BELGIUM DISREGARDS THE SUPPLEMENTARY ROLE OF THE BENEFITS PROVIDED FOR BY THE STAFF REGULATIONS AND HAS THE EFFECT OF AUGMENTING THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF THE COMMUNITIES IN THIS AREA .
20 THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT, ON THE OTHER HAND, DENIES THAT THE PURPOSE OF ARTICLE 67*(2 ) IS TO IMPOSE AN OBLIGATION ON THE MEMBER STATES . IN ITS VIEW, THAT PROVISION CONSTITUTES MERELY A RULE AGAINST THE OVERLAPPING OF BENEFITS, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT A PERSON FROM BENEFITING TWICE FROM ALLOWANCES OF LIKE NATURE AND IS THEREFORE MERELY AN INTERNAL RULE OF THE COMMUNITY ADMINISTRATION . WITH REGARD TO THE REDUCTION OF THE FINANCIAL BURDEN BORNE BY THE COMMUNITIES AS A RESULT OF THE APPLICATION OF THE RULE AGAINST THE OVERLAPPING OF BENEFITS, THAT IS MERELY AN INDIRECT EFFECT OF ARTICLE 67*(2 ) AND NOT THE OBJECTIVE PURSUED BY IT .
21 IT MUST BE BORNE IN MIND, FIRST, THAT THE STAFF REGULATIONS AND THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT WERE ADOPTED BY MEANS OF COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC, EURATOM, ECSC ) NO 259/68 OF 29 FEBRUARY 1968 ( OFFICIAL JOURNAL, ENGLISH SPECIAL EDITION 1968 ( I ), P . 30 ) AND THAT, BY VIRTUE OF THE SECOND PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 189 OF THE EEC TREATY, THAT REGULATION HAS GENERAL APPLICATION, IS BINDING IN ITS ENTIRETY AND IS DIRECTLY APPLICABLE IN ALL MEMBER STATES . IT FOLLOWS THAT, AS THE COURT POINTED OUT IN PARTICULAR IN ITS JUDGMENT OF 20 OCTOBER 1981 IN CASE 137/80 COMMISSION V BELGIUM (( 1981 )) ECR 2393, IN ADDITION TO HAVING EFFECTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ADMINISTRATION, THE STAFF REGULATIONS AND THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT ARE ALSO BINDING ON MEMBER STATES IN SO FAR AS THEIR COOPERATION IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO GIVE EFFECT TO THOSE MEASURES . ACCORDINGLY, IT IS NECESSARY TO CONSIDER WHETHER ARTICLE 67*(2 ) OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS IMPOSES BINDING OBLIGATIONS ON THE MEMBER STATES .
22 IT MUST BE POINTED OUT, FOR THOSE PURPOSES, THAT THE FAMILY ALLOWANCES AT ISSUE IN THIS CASE CONSTITUTE BENEFITS THE AWARD OF WHICH DEPENDS ON THE FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE OFFICIAL CONCERNED . ACCORDINGLY, IN THE ABSENCE OF SPECIAL PROVISIONS, THE APPLICATION OF THE COMMUNITY SCHEME IN CONJUNCTION WITH A NATIONAL SCHEME COULD GIVE RISE TO CONFLICTS, INASMUCH AS ALLOWANCES COULD BE CLAIMED IN FULL UNDER BOTH SCHEMES IN RESPECT OF THE SAME SET OF FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES . THE PURPOSE OF ARTICLE 67*(2 ) OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS IS PRECISELY TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS OF THAT KIND .
23 IF THE CONFLICTS IN QUESTION WERE GOVERNED BY PROVISIONS OF NATIONAL LAW, THEY MIGHT BE RESOLVED IN DIFFERENT WAYS ACCORDING TO THE MEMBER STATE WITHIN WHOSE TERRITORY THE OFFICIAL OR HIS SPOUSE CARRIED ON THEIR ACTIVITIES OR RESIDED . ARTICLE 67*(2 ) OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS