51Nevertheless, as the Advocate General observed in points 27 and 28 of his opinion, the withdrawal of a residence permit pursuant to Article 16(2)(a) of Directive 2003/86 cannot occur automatically. It is clear from the use, in that provision, of the words ‘may … withdraw’ that Member States have a discretion as to that withdrawal. In that regard, in accordance with Article 17 of that directive, the Member State concerned must first examine, on a case-by-case basis, the situation of the family member concerned, by making a balanced and reasonable assessment of all the interests in play (see, to that effect, the judgments of 6 December 2012, O and Others, C‑356/11 and C‑357/11, EU:C:2012:776, paragraph 81, and of 21 April 2016, Khachab, C‑558/14, EU:C:2016:285, paragraph 43).
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