Duration and extension of contracts
Article 7
1. The term of a contract including any extensions shall not exceed 4 years, except to the extent that its subject matter or another legitimate reason justifies a longer duration. 2. If a contract is concluded for a fixed term, its term may be extended beyond that initial term under the following conditions: (a) the contract notice or, in the case of a procedure under Chapter III, the request for a proposal, provided for the possibility of extension; (b) the extension is duly justified; and (c) the extensions were taken into consideration when determining the applicable procedure in accordance with Article 4. 3. Otherwise, the term of a fixed-term contract may only be extended in the situations described in Article 6(1).