7.4. The Consultant shall treat all documents and information received in connection with the contract as private and confidential, and shall not, save in so far as may be necessary for the purposes of the performance thereof, publish or disclose any particulars of the contract without the prior consent in writing of the Contracting Authority or the Project Manager after consultation with the Contracting Authority. If any disagreement arises as to the necessity for any publication or disclosure for the purpose of the contract, the decision of the Contracting Authority shall be final. 

7.5. If the Consultant is a consortium of two or more persons, all such persons shall be jointly and severally bound to fulfil the terms of the contract. The person designated by the consortium to act on its behalf for the purposes of this contract shall have the authority to bind the consortium. 

7.6. Any alteration of the composition of the consortium without the prior written consent of the Contracting Authority shall be considered to be a breach of contract. 

7.7. Unless otherwise requested or agreed by the European Commission, the Consultant shall take the necessary steps to ensure that the financial contribution of the EU is given adequate publicity. These steps must follow the rules applicable in the Communication and Visibility Manual for EU External Actions defined and published by the European Commission. 

7.8. The Consultant shall give written notification to the Contracting Authority of the name and address of its contact, bank account and auditor(s) for the Contract. The Consultant must use the form in Annex VI for notification of its bank account. The Contracting Authority shall have the right to oppose the Consultant's choice of bank account or auditor. 

## ARTICLE 8. CODE OF CONDUCT 

8.1. The Consultant shall at all time act loyally and impartially and as a faithful adviser to the Contracting Authority in accordance with the rules and/or code of conduct of its profession as well as with appropriate discretion. It shall, in particular, refrain from making any public statements concerning the project or the services without the prior approval of the Contracting Authority, and from engaging in any activity which conflicts with its obligations towards the Contracting Authority under the contract. It shall not commit the Contracting Authority in any way whatsoever without its prior written consent, and shall, where appropriate, make this obligation clear to third parties. 

8.2. For the period of execution of the contract, the Consultant and its personnel shall respect human rights and undertake not to offend the political, cultural and religious practices prevailing in the beneficiary country. The Consultant shall respect internationally agreed core labour standards,e.g. the ILO core labour standards, conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining, elimination of forced and compulsory labour, elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, and the abolition of child labour. 

8.3. If the Consultant or any of its sub-contractors, personnel, agents or servants offers to give or agrees to offer or to give or gives to any person, any bribe, gift, gratuity or commission as an inducement or reward for doing or forbearing to do any act in relation to the contract or any other contract with the Contracting Authority, or for showing favour or disfavour to any person in relation to the contract or any other contract with the Contracting Authority, then the Contracting Authority may terminate the contract, without prejudice to any accrued rights of the Consultant under the contract. 

8.4. The payments to the Consultant under the contract shall constitute the only income or benefit it may derive in connection with the contract and neither it nor its personnel shall accept any commission, discount, allowance, indirect payment or other consideration in connection with, or in relation to, or in discharge of, its obligations under the contract. 

8.5. The Consultant shall not have the benefit, whether directly or indirectly, of any royalty, gratuity or commission in respect of any patented or protected Article or process used in or for the purposes of the contract or the project, without the prior written approval of the Contracting Authority. 

8.6. The Consultant and its staff shall maintain professional secrecy, for the duration of the contract and after completion thereof. In this connection, except with the prior written consent of the Contracting Authority, neither the Consultant nor the personnel employed or engaged by it shall at any time communicate to any person or entity any confidential information disclosed to them or discovered by them, or make public any information as to the recommendations formulated in the course of or as a result of the services. Furthermore, they shall not make any use prejudicial to the Contracting Authority, of information supplied to them and of the results of studies, tests and research carried out in the course and for the purpose of performing the contract. 

