Council Decision of 12 December 2011 concerning the accession of the European Union to the Protocol of 2002 to the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, 1974, with the exception of Articles 10 and 11 thereof (2012/22/EU)

Article 17 Signature, ratification, acceptance, approval and accession

1. This Protocol shall be open for signature at the Headquarters of the Organization from 1 May 2003 until 30 April 2004 and shall thereafter remain open for accession.

2. States may express their consent to be bound by this Protocol by:

(a) signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval; or

(b) signature subject to ratification, acceptance or approval followed by ratification, acceptance or approval; or

(c) accession.

3. Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument to that effect with the Secretary-General.

4. Any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession deposited after the entry into force of an amendment to this Protocol with respect to all existing States Parties, or after the completion of all measures required for the entry into force of the amendment with respect to those States Parties shall be deemed to apply to this Protocol as modified by the amendment.

5. A State shall not express its consent to be bound by this Protocol unless, if Party thereto, it denounces:

(a) the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, done at Athens on 13 December 1974;

(b) the Protocol to the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, done at London on 19 November 1976; and

(c) the Protocol of 1990 to amend the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, done at London on 29 March 1990,

with effect from the time that this Protocol will enter into force for that State in accordance with Article 20.