This Convention shall be subject to ratification, acceptance or approval. The instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. The Secretary-General of the Council shall notify all Member States of such deposit.

This Convention shall enter into force 90 days after the date of deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance and approval by the last Member State to carry out this formality.

Until this Convention enters into force, any Member State may, when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, or at any other date, declare that the Convention shall apply to it in its relations with Member States that have made the same declaration 90 days after the date of deposit of its declaration.

Any declaration made pursuant to Article 9 shall take effect 30 days after deposit thereof, but no earlier than the date of the entry into force of this Convention or of the application thereof of the Member State concerned.

This Convention shall apply only to requests submitted after the date on which it enters into force or is applied between the requested State and the requesting State.