EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 19.10.2015 COM(2015) 507 final REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL concerning the implementation and the results of the Pericles programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting in 2014



REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL concerning the implementation and the results of the Pericles programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting in 2014 1.General The ''Pericles 2020'' programme is an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting, replacing the Pericles programme that was established in 2001 and ran in the period 2002-2013. The Programme was established by Regulation (EU) No 331/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014. This Regulation establishes the duration of the Programme until 31 December 2020. Article 13(3) of the Regulation requires that the Commission shall provide annual information on the results of the Programme to the European Parliament and to the Council. This report responds to that requirement in relation to the year 2014. The ''Pericles 2020'' programme has several additional features compared to the previous programme. Firstly, Article 8(2)(c) of the Regulation includes as an additional eligible action the purchase of equipment to be used by specialised anti-counterfeiting authorities for protecting the euro against counterfeiting. Secondly, the system of eligible costs has been simplified. Furthermore, Article 10 of the Regulation sets the co-financing rate for grants at 75%, but also allows for an increase in the co-financing rate for grants to a maximum of 90% of the eligible costs in exceptional and duly justified cases which are defined in the Annual Work Programme. Finally, the monitoring and evaluation components of the ''Pericles 2020'' programme have been strengthened. 2.Implementation of the programme and results of committed Pericles actions in 2014 The annual budget for the implementation of the ''Pericles 2020'' programme for the year 2014 was set at EUR 924 200, and was financed from the budget line 24 03 01 of the general budget of the European Union for 2014. A total of EUR 878 517 was committed in 2014. The implementation of the Programme reflected the commitment of Member States to protect the euro against counterfeiting. Discussions of the multi-annual strategy at the meetings of the Euro Counterfeiting Experts Group (ECEG) made it possible to commit 95% of the overall budget in 2014. In the year 2014, the Programme funded 10 projects; of these projects, 6 originated from the competent authorities of euro area Member States, while 4 were initiatives of the Commission. 3 actions were implemented in 2014, while 7 actions are being/will be implemented in 2015. In 2014, applicants to the Programme represented three Member States, Italy, France and Spain. This reflects that the countries most affected by euro counterfeiting are more frequent users of Pericles funds. The Regulation, which should extend the application of the ''Pericles 2020'' programme to non euro area Member States, is in the process of adoption by the EU legislator. Therefore, in 2014, the programme was only applicable to euro area Member States. Graph I and Graph II: Number of actions per Member State (Grants and Procurements 2014) and Type of action The actions for which commitments were made in 2014 consisted of three seminars, three technical trainings, two staff exchanges and two studies. These actions took place both inside and outside the EU depending on the specific needs to protect the euro against counterfeiting. Since its inception, Pericles consolidated its regional approach by implementing actions involving particularly sensitive regions of the world. Specific focus areas in 2014 were Latin America (Chile and Colombia), the South East of Europe (Albania and Turkey) and the Mediterranean region. The following graphs give a breakdown of the origin and professional background of ''Pericles 2020'' programme participants: Graph III and Graph IV: Origin of participants and Professional background of participants