1981 AND OF COUNCIL DECISION NO 81/1061 OF THE SAME DATE ( OFFICIAL JOURNAL 1981 , L 386 , PP . 1 AND 6 ). THE APPLICANTS CLAIM THAT THOSE TWO MEASURES ARE INVALID AND THAT THE SALARY STATEMENTS TO WHICH THEY WERE APPLIED ARE THEREFORE ALSO INVALID .
3 THE LEGAL CONTEXT OF THE PRESENT CASE WILL BE BETTER APPRECIATED IF IT IS BORNE IN MIND THAT BY DECISION NO 81/1061 THE COUNCIL , IN RELIANCE UPON ARTICLE 65 OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS AND THE CORRESPONDING PROVISIONS OF THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT OF OTHER SERVANTS , ADOPTED A METHOD OF ADJUSTING THE REMUNERATION OF OFFICIALS AND OTHER SERVANTS OF THE COMMUNITIES WHICH REPLACES THE METHOD USED SINCE 1976 AND APPLIES TO THE PERIOD FROM 1 JULY 1981 TO 30 JUNE 1991 . UNDER THE NEW METHOD THE FOLLOWING FACTORS ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF SALARY LEVELS : ( A ) THE JOINT COST-OF-LIVING INDEXES ; ( B ) THE SPECIFIC INDICATOR , THAT IS TO SAY , THE CHANGE IN THE PURCHASING POWER OF THE SALARIES OF NATIONAL CIVIL SERVANTS ; ( C ) THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SITUATION , CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF OBJECTIVE DATA TO BE SUPPLIED BY THE COMMISSION ; AND ( D ) RECRUITMENT NEEDS .
4 THE LAST RECITAL IN THE PREAMBLE TO DECISION NO 81/1061 STATES THAT THE PARTICULAR DIFFICULTIES OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SITUATION MAKE IT ADVISABLE TO INTRODUCE AN EXCEPTIONAL LEVY ON SALARIES , PENSIONS AND TERMINATION-OF- SERVICE ALLOWANCES AT THE SAME TIME AS ADJUSTMENTS ARE MADE TO REMUNERATION UNDER THE NEW METHOD .
5 THE EXCEPTIONAL LEVY WAS ACTUALLY INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL REGULATION NO 3821/81 . ARTICLE 1 OF THAT REGULATION INSERTS A NEW ARTICLE 66A IN THE STAFF REGULATIONS AND ARTICLE 2 INSERTS CORRESPONDING PROVISIONS IN THE CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT OF OTHER SERVANTS . THE PREAMBLE TO THE REGULATION STATES THAT THE LEVY IS JUSTIFIED BY ' THE SPECIFIC DIFFICULTIES OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SITUATION ' AND IS TO BE ASSESSED ON THE BASIS ' OF THE ECONOMIC DATA REFLECTING THE AVERAGE GAPS RECORDED IN THE MEMBER STATES ' BETWEEN , ON THE ONE HAND , THE TREND IN REAL PER CAPITA WAGES AND SALARIES AND , ON THE OTHER , THE TREND IN THE FOLLOWING FACTORS : ( A ) TOTAL PRODUCTIVITY ( GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IN VOLUME TERMS PER PERSON EMPLOYED ) AND ( B ) PRODUCTIVITY AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION , THAT IS , PRODUCTIVITY CORRECTED FOR TERMS OF TRADE ; AND ( C ) PRODUCTIVITY PER MEMBER OF THE ACTIVE POPULATION , INCLUDING PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT AND THE UNEMPLOYED .
6 PARAGRAPH ( 1 ) OF ARTICLE 66A PROVIDES THAT THE LEVY IS TO BE TEMPORARY AND IS TO BE APPLIED FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF 10 YEARS AS THE NEW METHOD PROVIDED FOR IN DECISION NO 81/1061 AND THAT , BY WAY OF DEROGATION FROM ARTICLE 3 ( 1 ) OF REGULATION NO 260/68 , IT IS TO