decide upon the incorporation of new Annexes in the convention. 2. To these ends the Permanent Technical Committee shall, under the authority of the Council, and in accordance with any directions given by the Council, have the following functions: (a) to prepare new Annexes and to propose to the Council their adoption with a view to their incorporation in the convention; (b) to submit to the Council proposals for such amendments to this convention or to its Annexes as it may consider necessary and, in particular, proposals for amendments to the texts of the standards and recommended practices and for the upgrading of recommended practices to standards; (c) to furnish opinions on any matters concerning the application of the convention; (d) to perform such tasks as the Council may direct in relation to the provisions of the convention. Article 7 For the purposes of voting in the Council and in the Permanent Technical Committee each Annex shall be taken to be a separate convention. CHAPTER IV Miscellaneous provisions Article 8 For the purposes of this convention, any Annex or Annexes to which a Contracting Party is bound shall be construed to be an integral part of the convention, and in relation to that Contracting Party any reference to the convention shall be deemed to include a reference to such Annex or Annexes. Article 9 Contracting Parties which form a customs or economic union may state by notification to the Secretary-General of the Council that for the application of a given Annex to this convention their territories are to be taken as a single territory. In each instance where, as a result of such notification, differences exist between the provisions of that Annex and those of the legislation applicable to the territories of the Contracting Parties, the States concerned shall enter a reservation to the standard or recommended practice in question under Article 5 of the convention. CHAPTER V Final provisions Article 10 1. Any dispute between two or more Contracting Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this convention shall so far as possible be settled by negotiation between them. 2. Any dispute which is not settled by negotiation shall be referred by the Contracting Parties in dispute to the Permanent Technical Committee which shall thereupon consider the dispute and make recommendations for its settlement. 3. If the Permanent Technical Committee is unable to settle the dispute, it shall refer the matter to the Council, which shall make recommendations in accordance with Article III (e) of the convention establishing the Council. 4. The Contracting Parties in dispute may agree in advance to accept the recommendations of the Permanent Technical Committee or Council as binding. Article 11 1. Any Member State of the Council and any Member State of the United Nations or its specialized agencies may become a Contracting Party to this convention: (a) by signing it without reservation of ratification; (b) by depositing an instrument of ratification after signing it subject to ratification ; or (c) by acceding to it. 2. This convention shall be open until 30 June 1974 for signature at the headquarters of the Council in Brussels by the States referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article. Thereafter, it shall be open for their accession. 3. Any State, not being a member of the organizations referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, to which an invitation to that effect has been addressed by the Secretary-General of the Council at the Council's request may become a Contracting Party to this convention by acceding thereto after its entry into force. 4. Each State referred to in paragraph 1 or 3 of this Article shall at the time of signing, ratifying or acceding to this convention specify the Annex or Annexes it accepts, it being necessary to accept at least one Annex. It may subsequently notify the Secretary-General of the Council that it accepts one or more further Annexes. 5. The instruments of ratification or accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the Council. 6. The Secretary-General of the Council shall notify the Contacting Parties to this convention, the other signatory States, those Member States of the Council that are not Contracting Parties to the convention, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations of any new Annex that the Council may decide to incorporate in this convention. Contracting Parties accepting such a new Annex shall notify the Secretary-General of the Council in accordance with paragraph 4 of this Article. 7. The provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article shall also apply to the customs or economic unions referred to in Article 9 of this convention in so far as the obligations arising from the instruments establishing such customs or economic unions require the competent bodies thereof to contract in their own