The European Parliament adopted a legislative resolution approving the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting for the period 2021-2027 (Pericles IV programme) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 331/2014.
The proposed Regulation establishes a programme on exchanges, assistance and training for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting (Pericles IV programme), for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2027.
Programme’s objectives
The general objective of the programme is to prevent and combat counterfeiting and associated fraud and to preserve the integrity of the euro banknotes and coins, thereby enhancing the confidence of citizens and businesses in their authenticity and thus trust in the EU economy, while ensuring the sustainability of public finances.
The specific objective of the programme is to protect euro banknotes and coins against counterfeiting and related fraud by:
- supporting and supplementing measures taken by Member States, and
- assisting national and EU authorities in their efforts to develop close and regular cooperation and exchange of best practices with each other and with the Commission, involving, where appropriate, third countries and international organisations.
Budget
The financial framework for the implementation of the programme for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2027 is hereby set at EUR 6 193 284 in current prices.
Implementation of the programme
The programme will be implemented under direct management in accordance with the Financial Regulation. It will be implemented by the Commission in cooperation with the Member States, through regular consultations at different stages of the programme implementation, while ensuring consistency and avoiding overlap with relevant measures taken by other competent bodies, in particular the European Central Bank (ECB) and Europol.