Protection of the euro against counterfeiting, PERICLES action programme: extension

PURPOSE : to extend the Pericles programme until 31.12.2006 and to make some amendments to the programme.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council 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 : the Council adopted this decision amending and extending the "Pericles" programme until the end of 2006. 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 is aimed at enhancing efficiency of the 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.

It should be noted that there is a parallel decision (Council Decision 2006/76/EC) aiming to extend the benefits of this programme to Member States who are not part of the euro zone (please see CNS/2005/0030.)

DATE OF EFFECT: 08/02/2006.

DATE OF APPLICATION : from 01/01/2006.