, WHO IS NOT ENTITLED TO ANY BENEFITS , MAY NOT BE REGARDED AS A ' RECIPIENT ' OF BENEFITS WITHIN THE MEANING OF POINT 2 ( A ). THAT DOES NOT AFFECT THE QUESTION WHETHER SUCH A WOMAN MAY BE REGARDED AS A ' MEMBER OF THE FAMILY ' WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 1 ( F ) OF REGULATION NO 1408/71 .
13 HOWEVER , IT IS APPARENT FROM THE ORDER REQUESTING A PRELIMINARY RULING THAT THE FIRST QUESTION WAS ONLY ASKED FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE SECOND , WHICH ESSENTIALLY ASKS WHETHER , IN THE LIGHT OF THE PROVISIONS OF ANNEX VI , PART I , POINT 2 OF REGULATION NO 1408/71 , AND IN PARTICULAR SUBPARAGRAPH ( A ) THEREOF , PERIODS OF RESIDENCE IN THE NETHERLANDS PRIOR TO 1 JANUARY 1957 COMPLETED BY A MARRIED WOMAN AFTER THE AGE OF 15 BUT BEFORE HER MARRIAGE ARE TO BE TREATED AS INSURANCE PERIODS COMPLETED UNDER NETHERLANDS LEGISLATION ON GENERAL OLD-AGE INSURANCE FOR PURPOSES OF THE CALCULATION OF THE OLD-AGE PENSION TO WHICH HER HUSBAND IS ENTITLED . IN ORDER TO GIVE THE CENTRALE RAAD VAN BEROEP A RULING WHICH WILL BE USEFUL FOR THE PURPOSES OF RESOLVING THE DISPUTE IN THE MAIN PROCEEDINGS , IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO EXAMINE THE SECOND QUESTION EVEN THOUGH , ACCORDING TO ITS WORDING , IT IS ONLY ASKED IN THE EVENT THAT THE FIRST QUESTION SHOULD BE ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE .
14 MR SPRUYT EMPHASIZES THE INJUSTICE OF A SITUATION IN WHICH THE AMOUNT OF AN OLD-AGE PENSION DEPENDS UPON THE ARBITRARY FACTOR OF THE DATE OF THE RECIPIENT ' S MARRIAGE . HE ARGUES THAT , IN ORDER TO AVOID SUCH INJUSTICE , ALL PERIODS OF RESIDENCE IN THE NETHERLANDS COMPLETED BY A MARRIED WOMAN , EVEN THOSE PRIOR TO HER MARRIAGE , SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT .
15 IN THEIR WRITTEN OBSERVATIONS , THE VERZEKERINGSBANK , THE NETHERLANDS GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMISSION STATE THAT BECAUSE A MARRIED WOMAN IS NOT A ' RECIPIENT ' OF BENEFITS UNDER THE OLD-AGE-LAW , AND IS THEREFORE NOT COVERED BY POINT 2 ( A ) OF PART I OF ANNEX VI TO REGULATION NO 1408/71 , SHE CANNOT BENEFIT FROM THE TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS CONTAINED THEREIN , WHICH ENABLE CERTAIN PERIODS TO BE TREATED AS PERIODS OF INSURANCE . THE VERZEKERINGSBANK ALSO STATES THAT ITS PRACTICE OF GRANTING SUCH AN ADVANTAGE BY WAY OF AN EXTRA-STATUTORY CONCESSION , ON THE BASIS OF AN ANALOGY WITH POINT 2 ( A ), ONLY APPLIES TO A WOMAN WHO IS HERSELF IN EMPLOYMENT AND CANNOT IN ANY EVENT BE EXTENDED TO A MARRIED WOMAN WHO DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF REGULATION NO 1408/71 ON HER OWN ACCOUNT .
16 WITH REGARD TO THE QUESTION WHETHER IT IS COMPATIBLE WITH ARTICLE 51 OF THE EEC TREATY TO REFUSE TO APPLY THE TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS IN A CASE SUCH AS THIS , THE VERZEKERINGSBANK ALSO OBSERVES THAT A MARRIED WOMAN WHO IS NOT HERSELF