70Next, it must be recalled that it follows from the third paragraph of Article 288 TFEU that directives are binding, as to the result to be achieved, upon the Member States to which they are addressed. It follows that Directive 2000/78, as is stated moreover in Article 21 thereof, is addressed to the Member States, not to the institutions. Accordingly, the provisions of that directive cannot be treated, as such, as imposing obligations on the institutions in the exercise of their legislative or decision-making powers (see, to that effect and by analogy, judgments of 9 September 2003, Rinke, C‑25/02, EU:C:2003:435, paragraph 24, and of 24 May 2008, Belfass v Council, T‑495/04, EU:T:2008:160, paragraph 43) and cannot, as such, form the basis of a plea that Article 42c of the Staff Regulations is unlawful (see, to that effect, judgment of 21 September 2011, Adjemian and Others v Commission, T‑325/09 P, EU:T:2011:506, paragraph 52).