Article 1 
1. The Commission is hereby authorised to participate, on behalf of the Union, in negotiations as regards matters falling within the Union’s competence, as defined by the Treaties, and in respect of which the Union has adopted rules or the adoption of which is expected in the foreseeable future, on the new Convention on the protection of the environment through criminal law superseding and replacing the 1998 Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law (ETS No. 172). 2. The negotiations shall be conducted on the basis of the negotiating directives set out in the addendum to this Decision. The Council may subsequently issue additional directives to the Commission.
Article 2 
The negotiations shall be conducted in consultation with the Council Working Party on Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters (the ‘COPEN Working Party’), which is hereby designated as the special committee within the meaning of Article 218(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Commission shall regularly report to the COPEN Working Party on the progress of the negotiations and shall forward all negotiating documents to it as early as possible. Whenever so requested by the Council, the Commission shall report to the Council on the conduct and the outcome of the negotiations, including in writing.
Article 3 
This Decision is addressed to the Commission.