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II SÉRIE — NÚMERO 73

as is necessary, make a special payment towards the investments already made for setting up the initial system as described in annex i, calculated on the basis of the rate of contribution of that Stale and fixed in annex n or determined by the council in conformity with article 5, 2, b). For any acceding State the special payment in question shall form part of the conditions governing accession, adopted by the council in conformity with article 5, 2, a).

ARTICLE 17 Amendments

1 — Any Member State may propose amendments to this Convention. The amendment proposals shall be sent to the director who shall comunícate them to the other Member States at least three months prior to their examination by the council. The council shall examine the said proposals and may, by a decision taken in conformity with article 5, 2, c), recommend the Member States to accept the proposed amendments.

2 — The amendments recommended by the council shall enter into force thirty days following the receipt by the depositary of the Convention of the written declarations of acceptance of all the Member States.

3 — Notwithstanding the provisions of article 5. 2, b), Hi), the council may, by a decision taken in conformity with article 5, 2, a), amend the annexes to this Convention provided that any such amendment does not conflict with the Convention, at the same time determining the corresponding dale of entry into force for all the Member States.

ARTICLE 18 Denunciation

1 — After this Convention has been in force for six years, any Member State may denounce it by notifying the depositary of the Convention. The denunciation shall take effect at the end of the financial year following that during which it was notified.

2 — After the denunciation has taken effect, the State concerned shall remain bound to honour its share of the payment appropriations corresponding to approved contract authority used both under the budget for the financial year in which the denunciation was notified and under previous budgets.

3 — The Slate concerned shall retain the rights it has acquired up to the date the denunciation takes effect.

ARTICLE 19 Dissolution

1 — EUMETSAT may at any time be dissolved by the council by a decision in accordance with article 5, 2. a).

2 — Unless the council decides otherwise, by a decision taken in conformity with article 5, 2, a), a Member State having denounced the Convention not taking part in the vote on this issue, EUMETSAT shall be dissolved if, as a result of the denunciation of this Convention by one or more Member States under the provisions of article 18, 1, the contribution rate of each of the other Member States is increased by more

than one-fifth compared to the rate laid down in annex u.

3 — In the cases referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, the council shall appoint a liquidation authority.

4 — The assets shall be shared out among the States that are members of EUMETSAT at the time of its dissolution pro rata to the contributions actually paid by them from the time of becoming Parties to this Convention. In the event of a deficit this shall be met by the same States pro rata to the contributions as assessed for the current financial year.

ARTICLE 20 Notification

The depositary shall notify the signatory and acceding States of:

a) All signatures of the Convention;

b) The deposit of any instrument of ratification,

acceptance, approval or accession;

c) The entry into force of the Convention,

pursuant to either paragraph 1 or paragraph 2 of article 16;

d) The adoption and entry into force of any

amendment to the Convention or to the annexes thereto;

e) Any denunciation of the Convention or any

loss of membership status in EUMETSAT;

f) The dissolution of EUMETSAT.

ARTICLE 2! Registration

Upon the entry into force of this Convention, the depositary shall register it with the Secretary General of the United Nations in accordance with article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

ANNEX I

System description 1 — General

The European Meteorological Satellite System will continue the preoperational METEOSAT programme of geostationary satellites. The nominal position of the satellite will be over the 0° meridian. The system will comprise a space segment and a ground segment. The design of the spacecraft will be based on that of METEOSAT. The ground segment will also make use of the experience gained during the preoperational METEOSAT programme and will provide for the tracking and control of the spacecraft and for central processing of the data.

2 — Functional description

2. J—Space segment.—The satellite will be e-quipped with the following capabilities:

Imagery in three spectral regions, visible, infrared atmospheric window, infra-red water vapour band;

Dissemination of images and other data on two channels each capable of transmitting digital or analogue data to users stations;