STILL PROVIDED THAT, AS WAS ONCE THE COMMON RULE, THE NATIONALITY OF A MARRIED WOMAN DEPENDS UPON THAT OF HER HUSBAND .
6 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL PATTERN OF ARTICLE 4 OF ANNEX VII THIS PROVISION ADOPTS THE OFFICIAL'S HABITUAL RESIDENCE BEFORE HE ENTERED THE SERVICE AS THE PARAMOUNT CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING ENTITLEMENT TO AN EXPATRIATION ALLOWANCE .
7 THE OFFICIAL'S NATIONALITY IS REGARDED AS BEING ONLY A SUBSIDIARY CONSIDERATION, I.E . AS SERVING TO DEFINE THE EFFECT OF THE LENGTH OF SUCH RESIDENCE OUTSIDE THE TERRITORY IN WHICH THE PLACE WHERE HE IS EMPLOYED IS SITUATED .
8 THE OBJECT OF THE EXPATRIATION ALLOWANCE IS TO COMPENSATE OFFICIALS FOR THE EXTRA EXPENSE AND INCONVENIENCE OF TAKING UP EMPLOYMENT WITH THE COMMUNITIES AND BEING THEREBY OBLIGED TO CHANGE THEIR RESIDENCE .
9 THOUGH 'EXPATRIATION' IS A SUBJECTIVE STATE CONDITIONED BY THE OFFICIAL'S ASSIMILATION INTO NEW SURROUNDINGS, THE STAFF REGULATIONS OF OFFICIALS CANNOT TREAT OFFICIALS DIFFERENTLY IN THIS RESPECT ACCORDING TO WHETHER THEY ARE OF THE MALE OR OF THE FEMALE SEX SINCE, IN EITHER CASE, PAYMENT OF THE EXPATRIATION ALLOWANCE MUST BE DETERMINED BY CONSIDERATIONS WHICH ARE UNIFORM AND DISREGARD THE DIFFERENCE IN SEX .
10 THE CONCEPT OF 'NATIONALS' CONTAINED IN ARTICLE 4 ( A ) MUST THEREFORE BE INTERPRETED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO AVOID ANY UNWARRANTED DIFFERENCE OF TREATMENT AS BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE OFFICIALS WHO ARE, IN FACT, PLACED IN COMPARABLE SITUATIONS .
11 SUCH UNWARRANTED DIFFERENCE OF TREATMENT BETWEEN FEMALE OFFICIALS AND OFFICIALS OF THE MALE SEX WOULD RESULT FROM AN INTERPRETATION OF THE CONCEPT OF 'NATIONALS' REFERRED TO ABOVE AS ALSO EMBRACING THE NATIONALITY WHICH WAS IMPOSED BY LAW ON AN OFFICIAL OF THE FEMALE SEX BY VIRTUE OF HER MARRIAGE, AND WHICH SHE WAS UNABLE TO RENOUNCE .
12 IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO DEFINE THE CONCEPT OF AN OFFICIAL'S PRESENT OR PREVIOUS NATIONALITY UNDER ARTICLE 4 ( A ) OF ANNEX VII AS EXCLUDING NATIONALITY IMPOSED BY LAW ON A FEMALE OFFICIAL UPON HER MARRIAGE WITH A NATIONAL OF ANOTHER STATE .
13 ALTHOUGH, ON HER MARRIAGE, THE BELGIAN NATIONALITY OF HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN CONFERRED UPON HER, THE APPLICANT COULD HAVE RENOUNCED IT AND THUS RETAINED HER NATIONALITY OF ORIGIN .
14 AS THE APPLICANT CHOSE NOT TO AVAIL HERSELF OF THIS RIGHT, THERE ARE NO REASONS ASSOCIATED WITH EQUAL TREATMENT WHY HER BELGIAN NATIONALITY SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN APPLYING THE PROVISION CONCERNED .
15 AS SHE IS A NATIONAL OF THE STATE ON WHOSE TERRITORY THE PLACE WHERE SHE IS EMPLOYED IS SITUATED, THE APPLICANT'S POSITION FALLS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THE CONDITIONS PROVIDED FOR UNDER ARTICLE 4 ( B ) OF ANNEX VII OF THE STAFF REGULATIONS .
16 AS THE APPLICANT DID NOT HABITUALLY RESIDE OUTSIDE BELGIAN TERRITORY DURING THE TEN YEARS ENDING AT THE DATE OF HER ENTERING THE SERVICE SHE DOES NOT FULFIL THE CONDITIONS LAID DOWN UNDER ARTICLE 4 ( B ) FOR PAYMENT OF AN EXPATRIATION