Johannes Coenrad Moulijn v Commission of the European Communities. (Community Law ) [1974] EUECJ C-6/74 (21 November 1974)

[ Home ] [ Databases ] [ World Law ] [ Multidatabase Search ] [ Help ] [ Feedback ] [ DONATE ] Court of Justice of the European Communities (including Court of First Instance Decisions) You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Court of Justice of the European Communities (including Court of First Instance Decisions) >> Johannes Coenrad Moulijn v Commission of the European Communities. (Community Law ) [1974] EUECJ C-6/74 (21 November 1974) URL: https://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/EUECJ/1974/C674.html Cite as: [1974] EUECJ C-6/74 [ New search ] [ Help ] IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTICE - The source of this judgment is the web site of the Court of Justice of the European Communities . The information in this database has been provided free of charge and is subject to a Court of Justice of the European Communities disclaimer and a copyright notice . This electronic version is not authentic and is subject to amendment. 61974J0006 Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 21 November 1974. Johannes Coenrad Moulijn v Commission of the European Communities. Case 6-74. European Court reports 1974 Page 01287 Greek special edition 1974 Page 00511 Portuguese special edition 1974 Page 00539 ++++ 1 . COMMUNITY LAW - LITERAL INTERPRETATION - UNSATISFACTORY RESULT - INTERPRETATION THAT IS REASONABLE AND APPROPRIATE TO THE PURPOSE ( EEC TREATY, ARTICLE 164 ) 2 . OFFICIALS - FAMILY ALLOWANCES - PERSONS TREATED AS A DEPENDANT CHILD - PURPOSES - STAFF REGULATIONS, ANNEX VII, ARTICLE 2 ( 2 ) - STRICT INTERPRETATION - IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS, ARTICLE 1 ( 4 ) - OBJECTIVE CRITERIA - EQUALITY OF TREATMENT - LEGALITY 1 . A PROVISION WHICH BY REASON OF THE DIVERGENCE BETWEEN THE VERSIONS IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES DOES NOT LEND ITSELF TO A CLEAR AND UNIFORM INTERPRETATION MUST BE INTERPRETED BY REFERENCE TO ITS PURPOSE AND ITS GENERAL SCHEME . 2 . THE PROVISIONS UNDER WHICH AN OFFICIAL MAY CLAIM AN EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNITY BENEFIT - THE TREATMENT OF A PERSON AS A DEPENDENT CHILD - MUST BE INTERPRETED STRICTLY . THE PERSON INVOLVED MUST IN SATISFYING HIS LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO MAINTAIN, FIRST UTILIZE HIS NON-COMMUNITY RESOURCES; ACCORDINGLY THE WHOLE OF THESE RESOURCES MUST COUNT IN CALCULATING THE SUM ON THE BASIS OF WHICH THE OBLIGATION TO MAINTAIN IS MEASURED WHEN DETERMINING WHETHER IT AMOUNTS TO " HEAVY EXPENDITURE ". THUS INTERPRETED, ARTICLE 1 ( 4 ) OF THE IMPLEMENTING PROVISION, AFFECTING ALL PERSONS FALLING WITHIN ITS AREA OF APPLICATION ON THE BASIS OF OBJECTIVE AND JUSTIFIED CRITERIA, IS NOT INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL TREATMENT OF OFFICIALS OR WITH OTHER GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF LAW . IN CASE 6/74 JOHANNES COENRAD MOULIJN, A FORMER OFFICIAL OF THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, REPRESENTED BY R . SAMKALDEN, ADVOCATE OF THE AMSTERDAM BAR, WITH AN ADDRESS FOR SERVICE AT LUXEMBOURG AT THE CHAMBERS OF MAITRES LOESCH AND WOLTER, 2, RUE GOETHE, APPLICANT, V COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, REPRESENTED BY R . BAYENS, ITS LEGAL ADVISER, ACTING AS AGENT, WITH AN ADDRESS FOR SERVICE IN LUXEMBOURG AT THE CHAMBERS OF ITS LEGAL ADVISER P . LAMOUREUX, 4, BOULEVARD ROYAL, DEFENDANT, APPLICATION FOR ANNULMENT OF THE DECISION OF THE COMMISSION, REJECTING THE APPLICANT' S REQUEST FOR A PERSON TO BE TREATED AS A DEPENDANT CHILD, IN CONFORMITY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 2 ( 4 ) OF ANNEX VII OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS . 1 THE APPLICATION IS FOR THE ANNULMENT OF THE DECISION OF 18 APRIL 1973 BY WHICH THE COMMISSION REJECTED THE APPLICANT' S REQUEST FOR HIS DIVORCED WIFE TO BE TREATED AS A DEPENDANT CHILD, IN CONFORMITY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 2 ( 4 ) OF ANNEX VII OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS . 2 ARTICLE 2 ( 4 ) OF ANNEX VII OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS READS : " ANY PERSON WHOM THE OFFICIAL HAS A LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN AND WHOSE MAINTENANCE INVOLVES HEAVY EXPENDITURE MAY, EXCEPTIONALLY, BE TREATED AS IF HE WERE A DEPENDANT CHILD BY SPECIAL REASONED DECISION OF THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY, BASED ON SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS . " 3 THE COMMISSION MADE REGULATIONS LAYING DOWN THE MANNER OF IMPLEMENTING THIS PROVISION ( HEREINAFTER CALLED THE " IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS " ). 4 UNDER ARTICLE 1 OF THESE IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS MUST BE PRESENT FOR A PERSON TO BE TREATED AS IF HE WERE A DEPENDENT CHILD : " ...... 4 . THE OFFICIAL MUST PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT HE DEVOTES A SUM EQUAL TO NOT LESS THAN 20 PERCENT OF THE TAXABLE AMOUNT OF HIS SALARY, INCREASED, WHERE APPROPRIATE, BY THE NET AMOUNT OF ANY OTHER INCOME HE MAY HAVE, TO THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PERSON FOR WHOM HE IS RESPONSIBLE . " 5 THE COMMISSION REJECTED THE APPLICANT' S REQUEST FOR ARTICLE 2 ( 4 ) OF ANNEX VII OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS TO BE APPLIED, ON THE GROUNDS THAT HE DID NOT FULFIL THE CONDITIONS LAID DOWN BY ARTICLE 1 ( 4 ) OF THE IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS . 6 THE COMMISSION INTERPRETED THIS AS MEANING THAT THE EXPENDITURE FOR WHICH THE APPLICANT IS LIABLE MUST NOT BE LESS THAN 20 PERCENT OF HIS COMMUNITY REMUNERATION AND THE TOTAL OF HIS NON-COMMUNITY INCOME . 7 THE APPLICANT CONTESTED THIS INTERPRETATION AND ARGUED THAT THE PROVISION IN QUESTION MUST BE INTERPRETED AS MEANING THAT THE EXPENDITURE MUST NOT BE LESS THAN 20 PERCENT OF THE OFFICIAL' S TOTAL INCOME, IRRESPECTIVE OF ITS SOURCE . 8 IT IS NOT IN DISPUTE THAT IF HIS OWN INTERPRETATION IS CORRECT, THE APPLICANT FULFILS THE CONDITIONS LAID DOWN BY THE PROVISION IN QUESTION . 9 ACCORDINGLY, THE OUTCOME OF THE SUIT DEPENDS ON THE INTERPRETATION THAT OUGHT TO BE GIVEN TO ARTICLE 1 ( 4 ) OF THE IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS . 10 BY REASON OF THE DIVERGENCES THAT EXIST BETWEEN THE VERSIONS OF THIS TEXT IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES IT DOES NOT LEND ITSELF TO A CLEAR AND UNIFORM INTERPRETATION ON THE POINT IN QUESTION . 11 ACCORDINGLY, IT MUST BE INTERPRETED BY REFERENCE TO THE PURPOSE AND THE GENERAL SCHEME OF THE IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS ON THE TREATMENT OF ANOTHER PERSON AS IF HE WERE A DEPENDENT CHILD . 12 IN THIS RESPECT IT IS NECESSARY TO BEAR IN MIND THAT TREATMENT AS A DEPENDENT CHILD HAS AN EXCEPTIONAL CHARACTER WHICH IS EMPHASIZED BY THE VERY TEXT OF ARTICLE 2 ( 4 ) OF ANNEX VII OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS, WHICH PROVIDES THAT THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE " EXCEPTIONALLY " AND " BY SPECIAL REASONED DECISION " . 13 THE CONDITIONS LAID DOWN FOR ANOTHER PERSON TO BE TREATED AS A DEPENDENT CHILD MUST ACCORDINGLY BE INTERPRETED STRICTLY . 14 IT SEEMS TO BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PURPOSE OF ARTICLE 2 ( 4 ) OF ANNEX VII THAT THE PERSON INVOLVED SHOULD, IN SATISFYING HIS LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO MAINTAIN, FIRST UTILIZE HIS NON-COMMUNITY RESOURCES BEFORE APPLYING FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNITY BENEFIT, WHICH MEANS THAT THE WHOLE OF THESE RESOURCES AND NOT ONLY A PART THEREOF MUST COUNT IN CALCULATING THE SUM ON THE BASIS OF WHICH THE OBLIGATION TO MAINTAIN IS MEASURED WHEN DETERMINING WHETHER IT AMOUNTS TO HEAVY EXPENDITURE WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PROVISION CITED . 15 THUS INTERPRETED, ARTICLE 1 ( 4 ) OF THE IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS, AFFECTING ALL PERSONS FALLING WITHIN ITS AREA OF APPLICATION ON THE BASIS OF OBJECTIVE AND JUSTIFIED CRITERIA, IS NOT INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL TREATMENT OF OFFICIALS OR WITH OTHER GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF LAW CITED BY THE APPLICANT . 16 ACCORDINGLY, THE APPLICATION MUST BE REJECTED AS UNFOUNDED . 17 THE APPLICANT HAS FAILED IN HIS ACTION . 18 UNDER THE TERMS OF ARTICLE 69 ( 2 ) OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE, THE UNSUCCESSFUL PARTY SHALL BE ORDERED TO PAY THE COSTS . 19 HOWEVER, UNDER THE TERMS OF ARTICLE 70 OF THE SAID RULES, COSTS INCURRED BY THE INSTITUTIONS IN ACTIONS BY SERVANTS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE TO BE BORNE BY SUCH INSTITUTIONS . ON THOSE GROUNDS, THE COURT ( SECOND CHAMBER ) HEREBY : 1 . DISMISSES THE ACTION; 2 . ORDERS EACH PARTY TO BEAR ITS OWN COSTS . © European Communities, 2001 All rights reserved BAILII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback | Donate to BAILII URL: https://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/EUECJ/1974/C674.html