THE COURSE OF 1976 TO GRADE L/A 7 , THE APPLICANT WAS TRANSFERRED FROM THE LANGUAGE SERVICE TO THE SAME CAREER BRACKET IN CATEGORY A FOLLOWING AN INTERNAL COMPETITION . BY DECISION OF 7 FEBRUARY 1978 HE WAS APPOINTED AS AN ADMINISTRATOR IN GRADE A 7 , STEP 1 , IN DIRECTORATE-GENERAL XX ( FINANCIAL CONTROL ).
3 IN MARCH 1981 THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATION SENT A CIRCULAR TO ALL MEMBERS OF STAFF CONTAINING THE TEXT OF THE ' DECISION ON THE CRITERIA APPLICABLE TO GRADE AND STEP CLASSIFICATION UPON RECRUITMENT ' , ADOPTED ON 6 JUNE 1973 .
4 HAVING TAKEN NOTE OF THAT CIRCULAR , THE APPLICANT SUBMITTED A REQUEST ON 4 JUNE 1981 TO THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATION FOR A REVIEW OF HIS INITIAL GRADINGS IN 1975 ON RECRUITMENT AND IN 1978 ON HIS APPOINTMENT AS ADMINISTRATOR . IN HIS VIEW SUCH A REVIEW WAS JUSTIFIED SINCE THE DECISION OF 6 JUNE 1973 SHOWED THAT , AT THE TIME , THE COMMISSION HAD NOT TAKEN PROPER ACCOUNT OF THE RELEVANT EXPERIENCE WHICH HE HAD ACQUIRED BEFORE 1975 .
5 THE GRADING COMMITTEE REJECTED THAT REQUEST BY LETTER OF 3 NOVEMBER 1981 ON THE GROUND THAT IT COULD NOT CHANGE THE OPINION IT HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPRESSED AS TO HIS GRADING . WHEN THE APPLICANT ASKED THE COMMITTEE TO STATE THE REASONS FOR ITS DECISION AND TO SPECIFY WHICH GRADING CRITERIA IT HAD APPLIED , HE RECEIVED A MEMORANDUM DATED 12 MAY 1982 FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATION IN WHICH THE LATTER EXPLAINED THE COMMITTEE ' S REASONING , ADDING THAT BOTH OF THE GRADING DECISIONS AT ISSUE HAD BEEN ADOPTED IN CONFORMITY WITH THE RELEVANT REGULATIONS AND THAT THERE WAS NO CAUSE TO AMEND THEM .
6 ON 22 MARCH 1983 THE APPLICANT , WHO IN THE MEANTIME HAD BEEN PROMOTED TO GRADE A 6 , REQUESTED THE GRADING COMMITTEE TO RECONSIDER THE ABOVEMENTIONED GRADING DECISIONS AND EMPHASIZED ONCE AGAIN HIS VIEWS ON THE MATTER . IN HIS REPLY DATED 28 APRIL 1983 , THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMED THE APPLICANT THAT HE WAS BOUND ' AS THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY ' TO UPHOLD THE CONTESTED GRADINGS .
7 ON 25 NOVEMBER 1983 THE APPLICANT SENT A FURTHER LETTER TO THE GRADING COMMITTEE , REPEATING HIS REQUEST FOR A REVIEW OF HIS ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION . IN THAT LETTER HE MAINTAINED THAT NEITHER THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATION NOR THE GRADING COMMITTEE HAD EVER GIVEN AN EXHAUSTIVE REPLY TO THE ARGUMENTS WHICH HE HAD SET OUT IN HIS PREVIOUS REQUESTS . ON 6 DECEMBER 1983 THE APPLICANT AGAIN WROTE TO THE GRADING COMMITTEE . IN REPLY , THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMED THE APPLICANT ON 6 JANUARY 1984 THAT HE COULD NOT ACCEDE TO HIS REQUEST FOR A REVIEW OF HIS GRADING .
8 FURTHER TO THAT REPLY , THE APPLICANT SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT ON 5 APRIL 1984 UNDER ARTICLE 90 ( 2