Article 1 
1. The Member States are hereby authorised to sign, ratify or accede to, in the interest of the European Community, the Protocol of 2003 to the International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage, 1992, (the Supplementary Fund Protocol) subject to the conditions set out in the following Articles. 2. Furthermore, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia are hereby authorised to accede to the underlying instruments. 3. The text of the Supplementary Fund Protocol is attached in Annex I to this Decision. The text of the underlying instruments is attached in Annexes II and III to this Decision. 4. In this Decision, the term ‘underlying instruments’ shall mean the Protocol of 1992 to amend the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1969 and the Protocol of 1992 to amend the International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage, 1971. 5. In this Decision, ‘Member State’ means all the Member States with the exception of Denmark.
Article 2 
1. Member States shall take the necessary steps to express their consent to be bound by the Supplementary Fund Protocol, pursuant to Article 19(2) thereof, within a reasonable time limit and, if possible, before 30 June 2004, with the exception of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia, which express their consent to be bound by the Protocol subject to the conditions set out in paragraph 3 of this Article. 2. Member States shall exchange information with the Commission within the Council, by 30 April 2004, on the date on which they expect their internal procedures to be completed. 3. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia shall take the necessary steps to express their consent to be bound by the underlying instruments and the Supplementary Fund Protocol, as far as possible by 31 December 2005.
Article 3 
When signing, ratifying or acceding to the instruments referred to in Article 1, Member States shall inform the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation in writing that such signature, ratification or accession has taken place in accordance with this Decision.
Article 4 
Member States shall, at the earliest opportunity, use their best endeavours to ensure that the Supplementary Fund Protocol, and the underlying instruments, are amended in order to allow the Community to become a Contracting Party to them.
Article 5 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States in accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community.