External borders, visas, asylum and immigration: action programme 2002-2006 for administrative cooperation ARGO

PURPOSE : to adopt an action programmes for administrative co-operation in the fields of external borders, visas, asylum and immigration (ARGO programme). COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Decision 2002/463/EC adopting an action programme for administrative co-operation in the field of external borders, visas, asylum and immigration (ARGO programme). CONTENT : the Council adopted a Decision adopting an action programme for administrative co-operation in the fields of external borders, visas, asylum and immigration (ARGO programme). To recall, the purpose of this programme, which covers the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006, is to support and complement the actions undertaken by the Community and the Member States in the implementation of Community legislation in the fields mentioned above and, in particular, to contribute to the following objectives: - to promote co-operation between national agencies in implementing Community rules with special attention to the pooling of resources and co-ordinated and homogeneous practices; - to promote uniform application of Community law in order to harmonise decisions taken by the national agencies of Member States, thereby avoiding malfunctioning likely to prejudice the progressive establishment of an area of freedom, security and justice; - to improve the overall efficiency of national agencies in the carrying out of their tasks when implementing Community rules; - to ensure that proper account is taken of the Community dimension in the organisation of national agencies contributing to the implementation of Community rules; - to encourage transparency of actions taken by national agencies by strengthening their relations with the relevant national and international governmental and non-governmental organisations. The amount allocated to the ARGO programme is EUR 25 million. This decision on the ARGO programme does not apply to Denmark or to Ireland. The Commission and the Member States shall monitor and evaluate the implementation of the ARGO programme on a continuous basis. Each year the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of the ARGO programme. The report shall analyse all the progress achieved and shall be accompanied where necessary by any proposals for ensuring homogeneous application in the Member States of Community legislation based on Articles 62 and 63 of the Treaty. The Commission shall submit the first report by 31 December 2003 at the latest and the final report by 31 December 2007 at the latest. This Decision shall apply from 19 June 2002.�