Without prejudice to the exercise of its voting rights under Article 6, the Union shall be entitled to be represented and involved in the work of all OTIF bodies in which any of its Member States is entitled to be represented as a Party to the Convention, and where matters falling within its competence may be dealt with.
The Union may not be a member of the Administrative Committee. It may be invited to participate in meetings of that Committee when the Committee wishes to consult it on matters of common interest that have been placed on the agenda.
Article 6
1. For decisions in matters where the Union has exclusive competence, the Union shall exercise the voting rights of its Member States under the Convention.
2. For decisions in matters where the Union shares competence with its Member States, either the Union or its Member States shall vote.
3. Subject to Article 26, paragraph 7, of the Convention, the Union shall have a number of votes equal to that of its Member States who are also Parties to the Convention. When the Union votes, its Member States shall not vote.
4. The Union shall, on a case-by-case basis, inform the other Parties to the Convention of the cases where, with regard to the various items on the agendas of the General Assembly and the other deliberating bodies, it will exercise the voting rights provided for in paragraphs 1 to 3. That obligation shall also apply when decisions are taken by correspondence. That information is to be provided early enough to the OTIF Secretary-General in order to allow its circulation together with meeting documents or a decision to be taken by correspondence.
Article 7
The scope of the competence of the Union shall be indicated in general terms in a written declaration made by the Union at the time of the conclusion of this Agreement. That declaration may be modified as appropriate by notification from the Union to OTIF. It shall not replace or in any way limit the matters that may be covered by the notifications of Union competence to be made prior to OTIF decision-making by means of formal voting or otherwise.
Article 8
Title V of the Convention shall apply to any dispute arising between the Contracting Parties in respect of the interpretation, application or implementation of this Agreement, including its existence, validity and termination.
Article 9
This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the first month following the signature of this Agreement by the Contracting Parties. Article 34, paragraph 2, of the Convention shall not apply in this case.
Article 10
This Agreement shall remain in force for an indefinite period.
If all Parties to the Convention which are Member States of the Union denounce the Convention, the notification of that denunciation, as well as of the denunciation of this Agreement, shall be considered to have been given by the Union at the same time as the last Member State of the Union to denounce the Convention notifies its denunciation under Article 41 of the Convention.