COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) 2021/1696

of 21 September 2021

extending to the non-participating Member States the application of Regulation (EU) 2021/840 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 (the ‘Pericles IV programme’)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 352 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament (1),

Acting in accordance with a special legislative procedure,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EU) 2021/840 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) establishes an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting (the ‘Pericles IV programme’) that is applicable in the Member States in accordance with the Treaties. Article 139 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides that measures governing the use of the euro referred to in Article 133 thereof shall not apply to the Member States with a derogation.

(2) The exchange of information and staff and the assistance and training measures implemented under the Pericles IV programme should however be uniform throughout the Union. The requisite measures should therefore be taken to ensure the same level of protection for the euro in the Member States that do not have the euro as their official currency.

(3) In order to ensure continuity in providing support in the relevant policy area and to allow implementation of the Pericles IV programme to start from the beginning of the Multi-annual Financial Framework 2021-2027, this Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should apply, with retroactive effect, from 1 January 2021,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1 The application of Regulation (EU) 2021/840 shall be extended to Member States other than the participating Member States as defined in point (a) of Article 1 of Council Regulation (EC) No 974/98 (3). Entities from those Member States shall be considered eligible for funding when they are competent authorities within the meaning of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) 2021/840.

Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 1 January 2021.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 21 September 2021. For the Council The President G. DOVŽAN

(1) Consent of 18 May 2021 (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(2) Regulation (EU) 2021/840 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 establishing an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting for the period 2021-2027 (the ‘Pericles IV programme’), and repealing Regulation (EU) No 331/2014 (OJ L 186, 27.5.2021, p. 1).

(3) Council Regulation (EC) No 974/98 of 3 May 1998 on the introduction of the euro (OJ L 139, 11.5.1998, p. 1).