Article 1 (Joint Committee)

1 The Contracting Parties shall institute a joint committee (hereinafter: Joint Committee), which shall consist of one representative of each Contracting Party and hold regular meetings.

2 The Joint Committee shall decide on its terms of reference, its duration, its rules of procedure, the dates and the agenda of its meetings and any other matters deemed relevant by the Contracting Parties.

3 Decisions of the Joint Committee shall be binding upon the Joint Committee members. They shall be taken by simple majority vote of the Contracting Parties' representatives present at a meeting, each representative having one vote.

4 The Joint Committee shall be represented vis-a-vis any third party by the Contracting Parties jointly*(34).

5 Each Contracting Party shall cover the costs for the participation of its representative in the Joint Committee. Common costs of the Joint Committee shall be borne equally between the Contracting Parties.