Convention or the Protocol concerned is involved, the new Annex shall not enter into force until such time as the amendment to the Convention or the Protocol concerned enters into force. 4. Amendments to the Annex on Arbritation shall be considered to be amendments to this Convention and shall be proposed and adopted in accordance with the procedures set out in Article 16 above. 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 development 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 24Signature This Convention, the Protocol for the prevention of pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by dumping from ships and aircraft and the Protocol concerning cooperation 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 in accordance with the provisions of such 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 cooperation 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. This Convention shall enter into force on the same date as the Protocol first entering into