The Commission shall be assisted by a Standing Committee on Biocidal Products (the Standing Committee). The Standing Committee shall be composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired by a representative of the Commission. The Standing Committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure.

For matters referred to the Standing Committee by virtue of Articles 4, 11(3), 15, 17, 18, 19, 27(l)(b), 29 and 33 and the elaboration of specific data by product type referred to in Annex V, to be drawn from Annexes IIIA and IIIB and, as appropriate, from Annexes IVA and IVB, the representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148(2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member States within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.

The Commission shall adopt the measures envisaged which shall apply immediately. However, if these measures are not in accordance with the opinion of the Committee, they shall be communicated by the Commission to the Council forthwith. In that event:

The Commission shall defer application of the measures which it has decided for a period of three months from the date of communication.

The Council, acting by a qualified majority, may take a different decision within the time limit referred to in the previous subparagraph.

For matters referred to the Standing Committee by virtue of Articles 10, 11(4), 16, 27(l)(a) and (2), and 32, the representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148(2) of the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representatives of the Member States within the committee shall be weighted in the manner set out in that Article. The chairman shall not vote.

The Commission shall adopt the measures envisaged if they are in accordance with the opinion of the committee.

If the measures envisaged are not in accordance with the opinion of the committee, or if no opinion is delivered, the Commission shall, without delay, submit to the Council a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The Council shall act by a qualified majority.

If, on the expiry of three months from the date of referral to the Council, the Council has not acted, the proposed measures shall be adopted by the Commission, save where the Council has decided against the said measures by a simple majority.