Council Decision (EU) 2022/2349 of 21 November 2022 authorising the opening of negotiations on behalf of the European Union for a Council of Europe convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law

1 The Commission is hereby authorised to open negotiations, on behalf of the Union, as regards matters falling within the exclusive competence of the Union, for a Council of Europe convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

2 The negotiations shall be conducted on the basis of the negotiating directives of the Council set out in the addendum to this Decision, which may be revised and further developed as appropriate depending on the evolution of the negotiations.

The negotiations referred to in Article 1 shall be conducted in consultation with the Working Party on Telecommunications and Information Society, which is hereby designated as the special committee within the meaning of Article 218(4) TFEU. The Commission shall regularly report to the special committee referred to in the first subparagraph on the steps undertaken pursuant to this Decision and consult it on a regular basis. Whenever so requested by the Council, the Commission shall report to it on the conduct and the outcome of the negotiations, including in writing. To the extent that the subject matter of the negotiations falls partially within the competence of the Union and partially within the competence of its Member States, the Commission and the Member States shall cooperate closely during the negotiating process, with a view to ensuring unity in the external representation of the Union.

This Decision is addressed to the Commission.