30The Court, while aware of the social context in which this action has been brought, docs not consider that it is competent to widen the judicial interpretation of the specific terms used in the Staff Regulations in order to bring cohabitation within the definition of ‘marriage’, or ‘cohabitee’ within that of ‘husband’ or ‘wife’. This conclusion, which conforms with that of the Court of Justice in the Reed judgment, cited above, in the context of interpreting Council Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68 of 15 October 1968 on freedom of movement for workers within the Community (OJ, English Special Edition 1968(11), p. 475), also takes account of the fact that numerous provisions of the Staff Regulations use the terms ‘spouse’ and ‘marriage’ and that any extension of those concepts would alter the legal basis of the provisions in question, with serious legal and financial consequences for the Communities and for third parties. A change on that scale can only be made by the Community legislature if it considers such a change to be necessary.
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