Article 8
1. Where reference is made to the procedure defined in this Article, the Committee shall be consulted without delay by its chairman, either on his own initiative or at the request of a Member State. 2. Within the Committee, the votes of the Member States shall be weighted as provided for in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty. The chairman shall not vote. 3. The representative of the Commission shall submit a draft of the measures to be adopted. The Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit set by the chairman according to the urgency of the matter. An opinion shall be delivered by a majority of 45 votes. 4. The Commission shall adopt the measures and shall apply them immediately, where they are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee. Where they are not in accordance with the opinion of the Committee, or if no opinion is delivered, the Commission shall without delay submit a proposal to the Council on the measures to be adopted. The Council shall adopt the measures by a qualified majority. If the Council has not adopted any measures within three months of the date on which the proposal was referred to it, the Commission shall adopt the proposed measures and apply them immediately, save where the Council has decided against these measures by a simple majority.