++++ 1 . OFFICIALS - RECRUITMENT - CRITERIA - INTERESTS OF THE SERVICE AND GEOGRAPHICAL BALANCE - RECONCILIATION OF THESE REQUIREMENTS - NATIONALITY AS AN OVERRIDING CRITERION IF QUALIFICATIONS ARE EQUAL ( STAFF REGULATIONS OF OFFICIALS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, ARTICLES 7, 27 ) 2 . OFFICIALS - RECRUITMENT - CRITERIA - GEOGRAPHICAL BALANCE - DIRECTORATE-GENERAL AS FIELD OF APPLICATION ( STAFF REGULATIONS OF OFFICIALS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, ARTICLE 7 ) 3 . OFFICIALS - RECRUITMENT - CRITERIA - RATIONALIZATION OF THE SERVICE AS A RESULT OF THE MERGER TREATY - PRINCIPLE OF ENTITLEMENT TO CAREER PROSPECTS - OVERRIDING CRITERION IN RELATION TO THE PRINCIPLE OF GEOGRAPHICAL BALANCE ( MERGER TREATY, ANNEX I )