Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution 3

Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution

 

Article 18
RULES OF PROCEDURE AND FINANCIAL RULES

1. The Contracting Parties shall adopt rules of procedure for their
meetings and conferences envisaged in Articles 14, 15 and 16 above.

2. The Contracting Parties shall adopt financial rules, prepared in
consultation with the Organization, to determine, in particular, their
financial participation.

Article 19

SPECIAL EXERCISE OF VOTING RIGHT

Within the areas of their competence, the European Economic Community and
any regional economic grouping referred to in Article 24 of this
Convention shall exercise their right to vote with a number of votes
equal to the number of their Member States which are Contracting Parties
to this Convention and to one or more Protocols; the European Economic
Community and any grouping as referred to above shall not exercise their
right to vote in cases where the Member States concerned exercise theirs,
and conversely.

Article 20

REPORTS

The Contracting Parties shall transmit to the Organization reports on the
measures adopted in the implementation of this Convention and of
Protocols to which they are Parties, in such form and at such intervals
as the meetings of Contracting Parties may determine.

Article 21

COMPLIANCE CONTROL

The Contracting Parties undertake to cooperate in the developing of
procedures enabling them to control the application of this Convention
and the Protocols.

Article 22

Settlement of Disputes

1. In case of a dispute between Contracting Parties as to the
interpretation or application of this Convention or the Protocols, they
shall seek a settlement of the dispute through negotiation or any other
peaceful means of their own choice.

2. If the Parties concerned cannot settle their dispute through the means
mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the dispute shall upon common
agreement be submitted to arbitration under the conditions laid down in
Annex A to this Convention.

3. Nevertheless, the Contracting Parties may at any time declare that
they recognize as compulsory ipso facto and without special agreement, in
relation to any other Party accepting the same obligation, the
application of the arbitration procedure in conformity with the
provisions of Annex A. Such declaration shall be notified in writing to
the Depositary, who shall communicate it to the other Parties.

Article 23

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CONVENTION AND PROTOCOLS

1. No one may become a Contracting Party to this Convention unless it
becomes at the same time a Contracting Party to at least one of the
Protocols. No one may become a Contracting Party to a Protocol unless it
is, or becomes at the same time, a Contracting Party to this Convention.

2. Any Protocol to this Convention shall be binding only on the
Contracting Parties to the Protocol in question.

3. Decisions concerning any Protocol pursuant to Articles 14, 16 and 17
of this Convention shall be taken only by the Parties to the Protocol
concerned.

Article 24

SIGNATURE

This Convention, the Protocol for the prevention of pollution of the
Mediterranean Sea by dumping from ships and aircraft and the Protocol
concerning co-operation in combating pollution of the Mediterranean Sea
by oil and other harmful substances in cases of emergency shall be open
for signature in Barcelona on 16 February 1976 and in Madrid from 17
February 1976 to 16 February 1977 by any State invited as a participant
in the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the Coastal States of the
Mediterranean Region on the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea, held in
Barcelona from 2 to 16 February 1976, and by any State entitled to sign
any Protocol. They shall also be open until the same date for signature
by the European Economic Community and by any similar regional economic
grouping at least one member of which is a coastal State of the
Mediterranean Sea area and which exercise competences in fields covered
by this Convention, as well as by any Protocol affecting them.

Article 25

RATIFICATION, ACCEPTANCE OR APPROVAL

This Convention and any Protocol thereto shall be subject to
ratification, acceptance, or approval. Instruments of ratification,
acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Government of Spain,
which will assume the functions of Depositary.

Article 26

ACCESSION

1. As from 17 February 1977, the present Convention, the Protocol for the
prevention of pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by dumping from ships
and aircraft, and the Protocol concerning co-operation in combating
pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by oil and other harmful substances in
cases of emergency shall be open for accession by the States, by the
European Economic Community and by any grouping as referred to in Article
24.

2. After the entry into force of the Convention and of any Protocol, any
State not referred to in Article 24 may accede to this Convention and to
any Protocol, subject to prior approval by three-fourths of the
Contracting Parties to the Protocol concerned.

3. Instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Depositary.

Article 27

ENTRY INTO FORCE

1. The Convention shall enter into force on the same date as the Protocol
first entering into force.

2. The Convention shall also enter into force with regard to the States,
the European Economic Community and any regional economic grouping
referred to in Article 24 if they have complied with the formal
requirements for becoming Contracting Parties to any other Protocol not
yet entered into force.

3. Any Protocol to this Convention, except as otherwise provided in such
Protocol, shall enter into force on the 30th day following the date of
deposit of at least six instruments of ratification, acceptance, or
approval of, or accession to such Protocol by the Parties referred to in
Article 24.

4. Thereafter, this Convention and any Protocol shall enter into force
with respect to any State, the European Economic Community and any
regional economic grouping referred to in Article 24 on the 30th day
following the date of deposit of the instruments of ratification,
acceptance, approval or accession.

Article 28

WITHDRAWAL

1. At any time after three years from the date of entry into force of
this Convention, any Contracting Party may withdraw from this Convention
by giving written notification of withdrawal.

2. Except as may be otherwise provided in any Protocol to this
Convention, any Contracting Party may, at any time after three years from
the date of entry into force of such Protocol, withdraw from such
Protocol by giving written notification of withdrawal.

3. Withdrawal shall take effect 90 days after the date on which
notification of withdrawal is received by the Depositary.

4. Any Contracting Party which withdraws from this Convention shall be
considered as also having withdrawn from any Protocol to which it was a
Party.

5. Any Contracting Party which, upon its withdrawal from a Protocol, is
no longer a Party to any Protocol to this Convention, shall be considered
as also having withdrawn from this Convention.

Article 29

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPOSITARY

1. The Depositary shall inform the Contracting Parties, any other Party
referred to in Article 24, and the Organization:

(i) of the signature of this Convention and of any Protocol
thereto, and of the deposit of instruments of ratification,
acceptance, approval or accession in accordance with Articles
24, 25 and 26;

(ii) of the date on which the Convention and any Protocol will
come into force in accordance with the provisions of Article
27;

(iii) of notifications of withdrawal made in accordance with
Article 28;

(iv) of the amendments adopted with respect to the Convention and
to any Protocol, their acceptance by the Contracting Parties
and the date of entry into force of those amendments in
accordance with the provisions of Article 16;

(v) of the adoption of new Annexes and of the amendment of any
Annex in accordance with Article 17;

(vi) of declarations recognizing as compulsory the application of
the arbitration procedure mentioned in paragraph 3 of Article
22.

2. The original of this Convention and of any Protocol thereto shall be
deposited with the Depositary, the Government of Spain, which shall send
certified copies thereof to the Contracting Parties, to the Organization,
and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for registration and
publication in accordance with Article 102 of the United Nations Charter.

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorized by their
respective Governments, have signed this Convention.

Done at Barcelona on 16 February 1976 in a single copy in the Arabic,
English, French and Spanish languages, the four texts being equally
authoritative.

 

Conclusion

Notes

See Also

References and Further Reading

About the Author/s and Reviewer/s

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution, Settlement of Disputes.


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