PURPOSE : to extend to the non-participating Member States the application of the ‘Pericles’ programme until 31.12.2006.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Decision 2006/76/EC extending to the non-participating Member States the application of Decision 2006/75/EC amending and extending Decision 2001/923/EC establishing an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting (the ‘Pericles’ programme).

CONTENT : t he Council adopted this Decision extending Decision 2006/75/EC to non-participating Member States. Pericles has been running since 2002 and was designed to support and supplement the measures undertaken by the member states and in existing programmes to protect the euro against counterfeiting. Such measures include information exchange (seminars, workshops, meetings and conferences), placements and exchanges of staff, as well as technical, scientific and operational back-up. The Decision was extended to non-participating Member States due to the fact that the exchange of information and staff and the assistance and training measures implemented under the Pericles programme should be uniform throughout the Community and the requisite steps should therefore be taken to guarantee the same level of protection for the euro in the Member States where the euro is not their official currency.

It should be noted that Decision 2006/75/EC was adopted on the same day. (Please see CNS/2005/0029). That Decision is aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the Pericles programme by:

increasing the maximum proportion of Community financing to 80% (instead of 70%); providing flexibility in the number of projects that one member state may present, and providing financial support for cooperation in cross-border operations, with the involvement of Europol.

A budget of EUR 1 million is allocated for implementation during 2006.

The Council considers that Pericles has a multi-annual nature and that it should be extended to 2011. To this effect, it invites the Commission to present a proposal for extending the programme for the period starting from 2007 as soon as an agreement on the future financial framework 2007-2013 has been reached.

DATE OF EFFECT: 08/02/2006.

Decision 2006/76
OJ L 036 08.02.2006, p. 0042-0042

The European Parliament adopted the resolution drafted by Augustín DÍAZ de MERA GARCÍA CONSUEGRA (EPP-ED, ES) and approved the Commission’s proposal.

T6-0373/2005
OJ C 233 28.09.2006, p. 0016-0089 E

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted the resolution drafted by Augustín DÍAZ de MERA GARCÍA CONSUEGRA (EPP-ED, ES) and approved the Commission’s proposal.

T6-0373/2005

A6-0275/2005

A6-0275/2005

The committee adopted the report by Augustín DÍAZ de MERA GARCÍA CONSUEGRA (EPP-ED, ES) approving the proposal unamended under the consultation procedure.

PE362.624

This opinion from the European Central Bank (ECB) deals with both the proposal for a Council decision amending and extending Council Decision of 17 December 2001 establishing an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting (the ‘Pericles’ programme) (please see CNS/2005/0029) and a proposal for a Council decision extending to the non-participating Member States the application of Council Decision amending and extending Council Decision of 17 December 2001 establishing an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting.

The ECB would like to state that it strongly welcomes and fully supports initiatives the aim of which is to protect the euro against counterfeiting through training, exchange and assistance programmes for selected target groups. With regard to the proposal, it makes the following observations:

- concerning the substance of the proposal, the ECB emphasises the importance of ensuring that the length of the extension of the ‘Pericles’ programme is linked to the timing of the introduction of the euro in the new Member States. Since the target dates for the introduction of the euro in most of the new Member States range from 2008 to 2010, the proposed extension of the ‘Pericles’ programme until 31 December 2011 takes account of increased future needs in terms of training, information exchanges and assistance. The proposed extension of the ‘Pericles’ programme is also to be welcomed as it is likely to coincide with, and consequently take into account, the issuance of the second series of

euro banknotes, to take place towards the end of the decade;

- by the same token, the increase in the Community's contribution in co-financing information exchanges and external measures, and the adoption of a flexible approach regarding limitations on the number of projects Member States are entitled to present for financing, are two further positive steps towards providing assistance where it is most needed;

- proper coordination of the ‘Pericles’ programme with existing Community or EU programmes, as well as with Europol and ECB projects, is essential, as indicated in Article 5 of Decision 2001/923/EC. It is to that effect that the proposal makes administrative support for cross-border investigations eligible for financing only if such support is not available from other European institutions. The proposal provides for a prior assessment by Europol of the financing of the administrative support. Given that the financing of administrative support might also relate to cross-border investigations concerning counterfeit euro banknotes, the Council could also consider involving the ECB in the assessment. The ECB observes that it would be beneficial that initiatives to be funded under the ‘Pericles’ programme be examined jointly by the Commission, the ECB and Europol, and that the decision to be taken require the assent of these three bodies, within the framework of the Steering Group already established with the aim of developing a common strategy against counterfeiting of the euro;

- the ECB notes that the proposal only provides for a limited amendment of follow-up and evaluation procedures. Taking into account the extension of the ‘Pericles’ programme for a further six years, the ECB recommends including a more ambitious, open and transparent evaluation procedure in Article 1(8) and 1(9) of the proposal. The ECB should be fully involved in evaluation of the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of the ‘Pericles’ programme so that it will be able to provide a well-qualified opinion to the Council in relation to any future extensions of the programme.

CON/2005/0022
OJ C 161 01.07.2005, p. 0011-0012

PURPOSE : to extend to the non-participating Member States the application of the ‘Pericles’ programme untiol 31.12.2011.

PROPOSED ACT : Council Decision.

CONTENT : The Pericles programme, which deals with the exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting, usually applies to Member States participating in the euro. The decision establishing the programme is the subject of a proposal for certain amendments to Pericles. (Please see 2005/0029(CNS)).

However, the exchange of information and staff and the assistance and training measures implemented under the Pericles programme should be uniform throughout the Community and the requisite provisions should therefore be taken to guarantee the same level of protection for the euro in the Member States where the euro is not their official currency.

This proposal seeks to extend the application of the Decision to Member States other than the participating Member States as defined in Regulation 974/1998/EC.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS : Please see the parallel proposal mentioned above.

- Budget lines : 24 02 02 Pericles

- Duration of the action and of the financial impact: From 1 January 2006 until 31 December 2011

- Total commitment and payment appropriations: EUR 6 million over the duration of the programme.

- Human resources not included in the financial reference amount : total EUR 1,782 million

- Other administrative costs not included in the reference amount : EUR 0,540 million

Detail of resources :

- Action 1(subsidies to Member States for seminars, exchanges of personnel and studies) : EUR 4,8 million over 6 years;

- Action 2 (costs borne by the Commission for seminars etc): EUR 1,2 million EUR over 6 ans.

COM(2005)0127
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