Artikel 13

1. Any State that has ratified the Lisbon Recognition Convention and belongs to the European Higher Education Area may apply to accede to this Treaty, on the condition that:
– it applies trustworthy quality assurance systems for its higher education programmes, which can demonstrate proven compliance with the ESG,
– its higher education system is a three-cycle system in compliance with the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area, and
– it has referenced its national higher education qualifications framework to the EQF.
2. In accordance with its constitutional procedures, the applicant State shall notify such application to the Depositary, who shall inform all Parties thereof. This application shall include information referenced under Annexes I, II, III and IV of this Treaty in accordance with the procedure referred to in paragraph 5 of Article 12 of this Treaty. The applicant State may only accede after the receipt by the Depositary of the last written notification by all Parties that they accept the application of the applicant State.
3. The accession of the applicant State to this Treaty shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of accession with the Depositary, and shall take effect on the first day of the third month following the receipt by the Depositary of this instrument of accession. The Depositary shall inform all Parties of the date of accession to this Treaty.
4. The Parties to this Treaty are invited to consult each other and to cooperate in order to streamline, prepare and facilitate the application of this Article.