Article 1 
The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign, on behalf of the European Community and its Member States, the Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Russian Federation, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic, subject to possible conclusion at a later stage. The text of the Protocol is attached to this Decision ( 1 ).
Article 2 
Pending its entry into force, the Protocol shall be applied on a provisional basis from the date of accession. ( 1 ) See page 3 of this Official Journal.