422-(8)

II SÉRIE-A — NÚMERO 22

represented by not more than two delegates, who may be accompanied by advisers.

The Council shall elect a Chairman and two Vice--Chairmen who shall hold office for one year and may be re-elected on not more than two consecutive occasions.

Observers

2 — a) States not Parties to this Agreement may attend sessions of the Council as observers as follows:

/) Members of EMBC as of right;

ii) States which are not Members of EMBC, on a decision of the Council taken by unanimous vote of the Member States present and voting.

b) EMBO and other observers may attend sessions of the Council in accordance with the Rules of Procedure adopted by the Council under paragraph 3, k), of this article.

Powers

3 — The Council shall:

a) Determine the Laboratory's policy in scientific, technical and administrative matters, in particular by giving guidelines to the Director-General;

b) Approve an indicative scheme for the realisation of the programme referred to in paragraph 2 of article n of this Agreement and specify its duration. In approving this scheme, the Council shall determine, by unanimous vote of the Member States present and voting, a minimum period of participation in the said programme and maximum credits that may be committed or spent during" that period. This period and this amount may not be varied thereafter, unless the Council by unanimous vote of the Member States present and voting so decides. After the expiry of the said period the Council shall determine in the same manner the maximum credits for a new period to be defined by the Council;

c) Adopt the annual budget by a two-thirds majority of the Member States present and voting provided that, either the contributions of such Member States constitute not less than twot-hirds of the total contributions to the Laboratory budget, or that affirmative votes are cast by all but one of the Member States present and voting;

d) Approve the provisional estimate of expenditure for the two following years by a two-thirds majority of the Member States present and voting;

e) Adopt Financial Regulations for the Laboratory by a two-thirds majority of the Member States

' present and voting;

f) Approve and publish audited annual accounts;

g) Approve the annual report presented by the Director-General;

h) Decide on the staff establishment required; /) Adopt, by a two-thirds majority of all the Member States, Staff Rules;

;') Decide on the establishment of groups and facilities of the Laboratory outside its headquarters by a two-thirds majority of the Member States present and voting;

k) Adopt its Rules of Procedure;

[) Have such other powers and perform such other functions as may be necessary for the purposes of the Laboratory as laid down in this Agreement.

4 — The Council may modify the programme referred to in paragraph 2 of article n of this Agreement by a decision taken unanimously by the Member States present and voting.

Sessions

5 — The Council shall meet at least once a year in ordinary session. It may also meet in extraordinary session. The sessions shall be held at the Laboratory's Headquarters, unless otherwise decided by the Council.

Voting

6 — a):

i) Each Member State shall have one vote in the Council;

ii) States which have signed but not yet ratified, accepted or approved this Agreement may be represented at the sessions of the Council and take part in its work, without the right to vote, for a period of two years after the coming into force of this Agreement in .accordance with paragraph 4, a), of article xv;

iii) A Member State which is in arrears in the payment of its contributions shall have no vote at any Council session at which the Director-General states that the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amounts of the contributions due from it for the preceding two financial years.

¿1) Except where otherwise stipulated in this Agreement, decisions of the Council shall be taken by a majority of the Member States present and voting.

c) The presence of delegates of a majority of all Member States shall be necessary to constitute a quorum at any session of the Council.

Subordinate bodies

7 — a) The Council shall establish, by a decision taken by a two-thirds majority of all the Member States, a Scientific Advisory Committee, a Finance Committee and such other subordinate bodies as may prove necessary.

b) The decision establishing the Scientific Advisory Committee shall include provisions concerning the membership, its rotation and terms of reference of that Committee in accordance with .article vm of this Agreement and shall determine the conditions of office of its members.

c) The decision establishing the Finance Committee and other subordinate bodies shall include provisions concerning the membership and terms of reference of such bodies.

d) Subordinate bodies shall adopt their own rules of procedure.

Article VII

Director-General and staff

1 — a) The Council shall appoint, by a two-thirds majority of all the Member States, a Director-General for a defined period of time and may by the same majority dismiss him.