EEC TREATY, MUST BE INTERPRETED IN THE LIGHT OF THE OBJECTIVE OF THAT ARTICLE, WHICH IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GREATEST POSSIBLE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR MIGRANT WORKERS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY .
14 ARTICLE 51 REQUIRES THE COUNCIL TO ADOPT SUCH MEASURES IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SECURITY AS ARE NECESSARY TO PROVIDE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR WORKERS BY SECURING, INTER ALIA, PAYMENT OF BENEFITS FOR PERSONS RESIDENT IN THE TERRITORIES OF THE MEMBER STATES . THE AIM OF ARTICLES 48 TO 51 WOULD NOT BE ATTAINED IF, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE EXERCISE OF THEIR RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, WORKERS WERE TO LOSE THE ADVANTAGES IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SECURITY GUARANTEED TO THEM BY THE LAWS OF A SINGLE MEMBER STATE .
15 IN THE LIGHT OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS THE COURT, IN THE JUDGMENTS QUOTED ABOVE, INTERPRETED THE PURPOSE OF POINT 2 ( C ) AS BEING TO FACILITATE THE FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS FROM OTHER MEMBER STATES WHO MOVE TO THE NETHERLANDS WHILST THEIR WIVES REMAIN IN THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, BY ENABLING THE PERIODS DURING WHICH THE WIVES ARE RESIDENT IN ANOTHER MEMBER STATE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT . SUCH PERIODS MAY BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE PERIODS OF THE MARRIAGE AND COINCIDE WITH PERIODS OF INSURANCE COMPLETED BY THE HUSBAND OR PERIODS WHICH ARE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN PURSUANCE OF POINT 2*(A ).
16 IN THE PRESENT CASE, THAT PROVISION WAS APPLIED BY THE BOARD WHICH, IN CALCULATING THE OLD-AGE PENSION, TOOK ACCOUNT OF THE PERIOD BETWEEN 2 JULY 1978 ( THE DATE ON WHICH MR AND MRS DE RIJKE LEFT THE NETHERLANDS ) AND 14 JULY 1981 ( THE DATE ON WHICH MR DE RIJKE REACHED THE AGE OF 65 ).
17 HOWEVER, THE PRINCIPLE OF FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IS NOT UNDERMINED IF THE LEGISLATION OF A MEMBER STATE SIMPLY LAYS DOWN A TIME-LIMIT FOR THE SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION TO REMAIN INSURED ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS BY VIRTUE OF WHICH CERTAIN PERIODS COMPLETED OUTSIDE THE TERRITORY OF THAT STATE CAN BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE CALCULATION OF AN OLD-AGE PENSION . WHEN SHE LEFT THE NETHERLANDS, MRS DE RIJKE COULD HAVE AVOIDED A REDUCTION IN HER PENSION IN THE EVENT OF HER HUSBAND' S DEATH BY SUBMITTING DURING THE YEAR FOLLOWING HER DEPARTURE AN APPLICATION TO REMAIN INSURED ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS .
18 IT FOLLOWS THAT THE APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLE ESTABLISHED BY THE CASE-LAW OF THE COURT, ACCORDING TO WHICH THE LAYING DOWN OF CONDITIONS FOR AFFILIATION TO A SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME IS A MATTER FOR THE LEGISLATURE OF EACH MEMBER STATE, IS NOT RULED OUT IN SUCH A CASE BY POINT 2 ( C ) OF ANNEX VI TO REGULATION NO 1408/71 .
19 THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION REFERRED TO THE COURT BY THE HOGE RAAD DER NEDERLANDEN MUST THEREFORE BE THAT NEITHER ARTICLE 51 OF THE EEC TREATY NOR ANY PROVISION