Article 3

Where the opinion of the Committee is obtained by written procedure the following provisions shall apply:

The chairman shall send to the members of the Committee the draft decision on which its opinion is requested in the manner set out in Article 7.

Within 30 days following the dispatch of the draft decision, Member States shall communicate to the chairman their decision to accept or to refuse the draft, or to abstain. Member States may include written comments with their decision. Any Member State which has not made known its opposition or its intention to abstain within the 30-day period shall be deemed to have agreed to the draft.

However, if within the 30 days a Member State addresses a duly reasoned written request for the draft decision to be examined in the course of a meeting of the Committee, the written procedure shall thereupon terminate and the chairman shall convene the Committee as soon as possible.