FROM THE TIME WHEN THEY STARTED WORK .
4 THE DEFENDANT IN THE MAIN ACTION HAS RAISED THE OBJECTION THAT THIS CLAIM IS NOT WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE NATIONAL COURT BECAUSE, IN ITS VIEW, IT IS A MATTER FOR THE COURT OF JUSTICE SINCE ENGAGEMENT AS AN OFFICIAL MUST AT ALL TIMES BE BASED ON AN INSTRUMENT OF APPOINTMENT FOR WHICH NO DECISION OF A COURT CAN BE SUBSTITUTED .
5 THE FIRST QUESTION IS WHETHER, IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, ARTICLE 152 OF THE EAEC TREATY MUST BE TAKEN AS MEANING THAT DISPUTES BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUALS WHO, THOUGH NOT ITS SERVANTS, NEVERTHELESS CLAIM TO BE SO, COME WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE . 6 ARTICLE 152 PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS : 'THE COURT OF JUSTICE SHALL HAVE JURISDICTION IN ANY DISPUTE BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND ITS SERVANTS WITHIN THE LIMITS AND UNDER THE CONDITIONS LAID DOWN IN THE STAFF REGULATIONS OR THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT '.
7 THE STAFF REGULATIONS COVER 'OFFICIALS' APPOINTED UNDER THE CONDITIONS PROVIDED FOR THEREIN .
8 THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT ALSO APPLY ON THE ONE HAND TO 'TEMPORARY AND AUXILIARY STAFF' WHOSE RIGHTS, WHICH ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF OFFICIALS THEY DEFINE, AND TO 'LOCAL STAFF' ( TITLE IV OF THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT ) WHOSE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT ARE, UNDER ARTICLE 79 ( A ), ( B ) AND ( C ) DETERMINED 'IN ACCORDANCE WITH CURRENT RULES AND PRACTICE IN THE PLACE WHERE THEY ARE TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES '.
9 UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE VII OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS, THE COURT HAS JURISDICTION IN ANY DISPUTE IN WHICH OFFICIALS ARE INVOLVED .
10 UNDER ARTICLES 46, 73, 83 AND 97 OF THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE VII OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS SHALL APPLY BY ANALOGY TO SERVANTS OTHER THAN LOCAL STAFF .
11 AS THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT OF OFFICIALS AND SERVANTS OTHER THAN LOCAL STAFF ARE DETERMINED BY THE STAFF REGULATIONS OR BY THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT, DISPUTES ARISING OVER THESE CONDITIONS ARE, UNDER ARTICLE 152 OF THE EAEC TREATY, PLACED WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE COURT, WHEREAS THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT OF LOCAL STAFF ARE LAID DOWN IN ACCORDANCE WITH NATIONAL LAW AND MAY BE THE SUBJECT OF PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE NATIONAL COURTS .
12 IN THE PRESENT CASE, THE NATIONAL COURT HAS ALREADY EXERCISED JURISDICTION AS REGARDS THE PLAINTIFFS' APPLICATION TO BE RECOGNIZED AS LOCAL STAFF, AND SUBMITS TO THE COURT ONLY A REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION IN RESPECT OF THE PLAINTIFFS' CLAIM TO BE GRANTED THE RIGHTS RESERVED TO OFFICIALS AND SERVANTS OTHER THAN LOCAL STAFF .
13 IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, AS THE RIGHTS IN QUESTION ARE THOSE RECOGNIZED BY THE STAFF REGULATIONS, ARTICLE 152 OF THE EAEC TREATY MUST BE INTERPRETED AS MEANING THAT IT APPLIES NOT ONLY TO PERSONS WHO HAVE THE STATUS OF OFFICIALS OR OF SERVANTS OTHER THAN LOCAL STAFF BUT ALSO TO PERSONS WHO LAY CLAIM TO THIS STATUS .
14 THE QUESTION HAS ALSO BEEN