If the urgency of the situation requires immediate action to be taken before the Council has taken a decision under Article 3(1), the HR is authorised to issue the necessary provisional instructions to the GSA. The HR may direct the Executive Secretary-General or one of the Deputy Secretaries-General of the European External Action Service to issue such instructions to the GSA. The HR shall immediately inform the Council and the Commission of any instructions issued pursuant to this paragraph.

The Council shall confirm, modify or revoke the provisional instructions of the HR as soon as possible.

The HR shall keep his/her provisional instructions under constant review, amend them as appropriate or revoke them if immediate action is no longer required. In any event, the provisional instructions shall expire four weeks after being issued, or upon a decision by the Council pursuant to paragraph 2.