12 | II Série A - Número: 010S1 | 9 de Outubro de 2008

5 enter into contracts and agreements on behalf of the ECO; 6 adopt amendments to this Convention in accordance with Articles 15 and 20; and 7 take all measures necessary for the fulfilment of the purposes of the ECO within the framework of this Convention.
(2) The Council shall establish all necessary rules for the proper functioning of the ECO and its organs.

Article 8 Voting Rules

(1) Decisions of the Council shall be reached by consensus as far as possible. If consensus cannot be reached a decision shall be taken by a two-thirds majority of the weighted votes cast. (2) The weighting of the individual votes of the Council shall be in accordance with Annex A. (3) Proposals to amend this Convention, including the Annexes, shall be considered only if they are supported by at least 25% of the total weighted votes of all Contracting Parties. (4) For all decisions of the Council, a quorum must exist at the time when the decision is made which: 1 for decisions relating to amendments to this Convention and its Annexes, is equivalent to at least two thirds of the total weighted votes of all Contracting Parties; 2 for all other decisions, is equivalent to at least one half of the total weighted votes of all Contracting Parties. (5) Observers to the Council may participate in the discussions but shall not have the right to vote.

Article 9 Director and Staff (1) The Director shall act as the legal representative of the ECO and shall have the authority, within limits agreed by the Council, to enter into contracts on behalf of the ECO. The Director may delegate this authority, in whole or in part, to the Deputy Director.
(2) The Director shall be responsible for the proper execution of all internal and external activities of the ECO in accordance with this Convention, the Headquarters Agreement, the work programme, the budget, and directives and guidelines given by the Council.