ADVERSELY AFFECTING THEM BUT ALSO PERSONS CLAIMING THAT STATUS .
7ACCORDINGLY , THE REQUEST FOR THEIR INITIAL CLASSIFICATION TO BE REVIEWED ON THE BASIS OF ANNEX IB TO THE STAFF REGULATIONS IS TODAY INADMISSIBLE .
8SECONDLY , THE APPLICANTS MAINTAIN THAT REGULATION NO 2615/76 IS NOT APPLICABLE TO THEM , ON THE GROUND THAT WHEN IT WAS ADOPTED THEY WERE ALREADY IN THE SERVICE OF THE COMMUNITY .
9HOWEVER , ARTICLE 2 ( 1 ) OF REGULATION NO 2615/76 PROVIDES THAT THE REGULATION SHALL BE APPLICABLE TO LOCAL STAFF AND PARAGRAPH ( 5 ) OF THAT ARTICLE SIMILARLY PROVIDES THAT THE CONTRACT OF ANY MEMBER OF THE LOCAL STAFF WHO DOES NOT ACCEPT WITHIN SIX MONTHS THE OFFER MADE BY THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL BE TERMINATED .
10ACCORDINGLY , REGULATION NO 2615/76 IS APPLICABLE TO THE APPLICANTS , AS IT IS TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL AND ESTABLISHMENT STAFFS WHO WERE IN THE SERVICE OF THE COMMUNITY ON ITS ENTRY INTO FORCE .
11IN A THIRD SUBMISSION THE APPLICANTS MAINTAIN THAT BEFORE THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF REGULATION NO 2615/76 THEIR POSITION WAS THE SAME AS THAT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL STAFF WHO WERE SUBSEQUENTLY MADE OFFICIALS IN CATEGORY B , SO THAT THERE WAS DISCRIMINATION AS BETWEEN THEM AND THOSE PROMOTED .
12THE APPOINTMENT OF THOSE EMPLOYEES AS ESTABLISHMENT STAFF AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT PROMOTION AS OFFICIALS TO CATEGORY B IN THE BUDGETARY POSTS AVAILABLE HAS NEVER BEEN CONTESTED AND CAN THEREFORE NO LONGER BE SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW BY THE COURT OF JUSTICE .
13IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES THE APPLICANTS ARE WRONG TO CLAIM THE EXISTENCE OF POSSIBLE DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN OFFICIALS ON THE ONE HAND AND LOCAL STAFF ON THE OTHER .
14IN A FOURTH SUBMISSION THE APPLICANTS MAINTAIN THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS FAILED IN ITS DUTY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE DERIVING FROM ARTICLE 24 OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS .
15ACCORDING TO THE TERMS OF THAT ARTICLE THE COMMUNITY IS REQUIRED TO ASSIST ITS OFFICIALS , FIRST , IN ORDER TO DEFEND THEM AGAINST CERTAIN RISKS ARISING FROM THEIR DUTIES , AND EMANATING IN PARTICULAR FROM THIRD PARTIES , AND , SECONDLY , TO FACILITATE THEIR FURTHER TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION .
16THE DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY THE APPLICANTS AS REGARDS PROGRESS IN THEIR CAREERS DO NOT ENTITLE THEM TO CLAIM THAT THERE HAS BEEN A FAILURE TO FULFIL THE DUTY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE , UNDERSTOOD IN THE ABOVE SENSE .
17THAT SUBMISSION MUST THEREFORE BE DISMISSED AS IRRELEVANT .
18IN A FIFTH SUBMISSION THE APPLICANTS MAINTAIN THAT TO LIMIT THE DURATION OF THE CONTRACT TO FIVE YEARS IN CATEGORY B HAS ' ' ABSURD CONSEQUENCES ' ' AND THAT THE REGULATION IS ' ' NOTHING MORE THAN A BAR TO THE PURSUIT OF THEIR CAREERS ' ' .
19AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PROMOTION IS OPEN TO THE APPLICANTS , SINCE THEY ARE COVERED BY THE TERMS OF THE ' ' GENERAL PROVISIONS TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE PROCEDURE FOR PROMOTING STAFF PAID FROM RESEARCH APPROPRIATIONS ' ' ( ADMINISTRATIVE NOTICES NO 197