Member State and the Community jointly, shall be party to the dispute. In the absence of such notification within the said time limit, the Member State and the Community shall be considered as being one and the same party to the dispute for the purposes of the application of the provisions governing the constitution and procedure of the arbitration tribunal. The same shall apply when the Member State and the Community jointly present themselves as party to the dispute. 3. The arbitration tribunal shall lay down its own procedure. Its decisions shall be taken by majority vote. Its award, which shall be based on this Convention, shall be final. 4. The procedure for the settlement of disputes shall not apply to disputes relating to questions within the competence of the European Community or to the definition of the scope of that competence between Parties which are members of the European Community or between such members and the Community. FINAL CLAUSES Article 37 Signature, ratification, acceptance, approval 1. This Convention shall be open for signature by the Member States of the Council of Europe and the European Community. It is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval. Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe. 2. No State party to the European Convention on the Protection of Animals during International Transport, opened for signature in Paris on 13 December 1968 , may deposit its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval unless it has already denounced the said Convention or denounces it simultaneously. 3. This Convention shall enter into force six months after the date on which four States have expressed their consent to be bound by this Convention in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraphs. 4. Whenever, in application of the preceding two paragraphs, the denunciation of the Convention of 13 December 1968 would not become effective simultaneously with the entry into force of this Convention, a Contracting State or the European Community may, when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, declare that it will continue to apply the Convention of 13 December 1968 until the entry into force of this Convention. 5. In respect of any signatory State or the European Community which subsequently expresses its consent to be bound by it, this Convention shall enter into force six months after the date of the deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval. Article 38 Accession of non-Member States 1. After the entry into force of this Convention, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe may invite any other non-Member State of the Council to accede to this Convention by a decision taken by the majority provided for in Article 20.d of the Statute of the Council of Europe and by the unanimous vote of the representatives of the Contracting States entitled to sit on the Committee. 2. In respect of any acceding State, this Convention shall enter into force six months after the date of deposit of the instrument of accession with the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe. Article 39 Territorial clause 1. Any State or the European Community may, at the time of signature or when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, specify the territory or territories to which this Convention shall apply. 2. Any State or the European Community may at any later date, by a declaration addressed to the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, extend the application of this Convention to any other territory specified in the declaration. In respect of such territory this Convention shall enter into force six months after the date of receipt of such declaration by the Secretary-General. 3. Any declaration made under the two preceding paragraphs may, in respect of any territory specified in such declaration, be withdrawn by a notification addressed to the Secretary-General. The withdrawal shall become effective six months after the date of receipt of such notification by the Secretary-General. Article 40 Denunciation 1. Any Party may at any time denounce this Convention by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe. 2. Such denunciation shall become effective six months following the date of receipt of such notification by the Secretary-General. Article 41 Notifications The Secretary-General of the Council of Europe shall notify the Member States of the Council of Europe, the European Community and any State which has acceded or has been invited to accede to this Convention of: (a) any signature; (b) the deposit of any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession; (c) any date of entry into force of this Convention in accordance with Articles 37 and 38; (d) any other act, notification or communication relating to this Convention. In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed this Convention. Done at ..., this ... day of ..., in English and