in the event of any conflict between the English and French versions, the English version shall prevail.24.2  The comments annotating various provisions of the Code  shall be used to interpret the Code .24.3  The Code  shall be interpreted as an independent and autonomous text and not by reference to the existing law or statutes of the Signatories  or governments.24.4  The headings used for the various Parts and Articles of the Code  are for convenience only and shall not be deemed part of the substance of the Code  or to affect in any way the language of the provisions to which they refer.24.5  The Code  shall not apply retroactively to matters pending before the date the Code  is accepted by a Signatory  and implemented in its rules.