COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Date: 2011-12-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, action programme, counterfeiting, euro, technical education

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 19.12.2011 
SEC(2011) 1614 final 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT 

Accompanying the document 

Proposal for a EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL Regulation 

establishing an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the 
euro against counterfeiting (the 'Pericles 2020' programme) 

{COM(2011) 913 final} 
{SEC(2011) 1615 final} 

This report commits only the Commission’s services involved in its preparation and does not prejudge the final form of 
any decision to be taken by the Commission. 

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Executive summary of the Impact Assessment on the Pericles programme 

1. 

POLICY CONTEXT AND CONTRIBUTION TO EU PRIORITIES 

The  Pericles  programme  is  an  exchange,  assistance  and  training  programme  for  the 
protection of the euro against counterfeiting. It is administered by OLAF. 

The Treaty reflects concerns about the protection of the euro by providing for the measures 
necessary for its use as a single currency (Article 133 TFEU). Council Regulation (EC) No 
1338/20011 lays down measures necessary for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting 
and  provides  for  exchanges  of  information,  cooperation  and  mutual  assistance,  thereby 
establishing a harmonised framework for the protection of the euro.   

The proposed budget for Pericles 2014-2020 is €

 1 million per year. 

2. 

CONSULTATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES 

The  impact  assessment  reflects  consultations  with  stakeholders,  especially  in  Member  State 
operational  services,  other  Commission  services  and  other  EU  bodies,  and  also  OLAF’s 
operational  experience  and  the  Commission’s  experience  in  managing  the  programme.  It 
incorporates material from the mid-term evaluation of the programme that was completed in 
early 2011. 

3. 

PROBLEM DEFINITION AND INTERVENTION LOGIC 

3.1. 

Scale 

Protection  of  the  euro  against  counterfeiting  is  an  unremitting  effort  based  on  close 
cooperation  between  European  institutions  and  Member  States.  The  Pericles  programme 
meets  the  need  for  the  continuing  vigilance,  training  and  technical  assistance  necessary  to 
sustain the protection of the euro against counterfeiting, by providing a stable framework for 
the planning of Member States’ activities. 

The  Euro  Counterfeiting  Experts  Group  (ECEG)  coordinates  and  is  associated  with  the 
implementation of Pericles activities. 

3.2. 

Drivers 

The  impact  assessment  identifies  the  following  key  drivers  which  Pericles  2020  should 
address: 

–  the euro continues to be a target for organised crime groups active in counterfeiting money, 
not  only  in  Europe  but  also  in  other  regions  of  the  world  such  as  South  America  and 
Eastern Asia; 

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OJ L 181, 4.7.2001, p. 6. 

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–  differences  in  incentives  and  capacities  between  countries  impede  uniform  protection  of 

the euro against counterfeiting. 

3.3. 

Problems 

Under  each  driver,  specific  problems  are  identified.  These  include:  maintaining  the  priority 
that  EU  Member  States  attach  to  the  fight  against  euro  counterfeiting,  reinforcing  the 
protection of the euro in South-East Europe and expanding coverage in South America, and 
identifying areas where a risk is emerging. 

4. 

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES 

4.1. 

General objective 

The  general  objective  of  the  Programme  shall  be  to  prevent  and  combat  counterfeiting  and 
fraud  thus  enhancing  the  competitiveness  of  the  European  economy  and  securing  the 
sustainability of public finances. 

4.2. 

Specific objective 

The  specific  objective  of  the  Programme  shall  be  to  protect  the  euro  banknotes  and  coins 
against  counterfeiting  and  related  fraud,  by  supporting  and  supplement  the  measures 
undertaken  by  the  Member  States  and  assisting  the  competent  national  and  European 
authorities in their efforts to develop between themselves and with the European Commission 
a close and regular cooperation, also including third countries and international organisations.  

This objective shall be measured, inter alia, through the effectiveness of action by financial, 
technical,  law-enforcement  and  judicial  authorities,  as  measured  through  the  number  of 
counterfeits  detected,  illegal  workshops  dismantled,  individuals  arrested  and  sanctions 
imposed. 

5. 

SUBSIDIARITY AND EU ADDED VALUE 

The  euro  continues  to  be  an  attractive  target  for  organised  crime  groups  active  in 
counterfeiting  money,  not  only  in  Europe  but  also  in  other  regions  of  the  world.  The 
international dimension of the threat with respect to euro counterfeiting calls for supranational 
coordination  in  facing  it;  through  the  Pericles  programme,  the  Commission  conducts  such 
coordination  by  way  of  exchanges,  training  activities  and  technical  assistance.  In  particular, 
by  implementing  a  specific  training  and  assistance  strategy  agreed  with  Member  States,  the 
programme  complements  national  training  by  adding  a  multidisciplinary  and  transnational 
dimension.  It  offers  beneficiaries  the  opportunity  to  take  part  in  international  training,  and 
raises the standard of cooperation outside the European Union by directly involving the most 
sensitive third countries in specific training activities. 

6. 

DESCRIPTION OF POLICY OPTIONS 

Option 1:  Continue the programme with the same level of funding (baseline scenario). 

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Option 2:  Renew  the  Pericles  programme  with  improved  objectives  and  methodology, 
including in particular an increased maximum rate of co-financing. 

Option 3:  Merge Pericles with other Commission programmes. 

Option 4:  Discontinue the Pericles programme, and leave it for Member States to organise 
activities at national level for protecting the euro. 

In the light of past experience, which is closely linked to the activities of both the Member 
States and the Commission in protecting the euro, as well as the expected impact, including 
through  developing  activities,  the  option  to  renew  the  programme  with  improved  objectives 
and  methodology  is  preferred.  This  option  has  a  budgetary  allocation  in  real  prices  that 
remains similar to the current allocation (approximately one million euros per year). It adds 
flexibility in determining the amount of the grant by simplifying the determination of costs to 
be borne by Member States2; it broadens the range of eligible activities by making it possible 
to finance the purchase of equipment to be used by specialised anti-counterfeiting agencies in 
third countries for protecting the euro against counterfeiting; and it increases the rate of co-
financing up to a maximum of 90 % of eligible costs, in duly substantiated exceptional cases. 
This should provide a response to a trend that has emerged in recent years, whereby Member 
States are less able to co-finance projects due to the general lack of funds available to public 
administrations.  The  higher  rate  of  co-financing  will  particularly  facilitate  a  more  balanced 
geographic distribution of activities by offering wider scope for Member States to apply. 

In contrast, discontinuing the programme would reduce expenditure at EU level, but without 
generating  real  savings  and  offsetting  resources  at  national  level  or  in  the  framework  of 
another EU programme, and would therefore put at risk the effective and uniform protection 
of the euro across the Member States and in third countries. 

7. 

LINKS WITH OTHER POST-2013 INITIATIVES 

The necessary coordination has taken place between OLAF and other Commission services to 
avoid overlaps or confusion between programmes. 

8. 

SIMPLIFICATION AND REDUCTION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN 

Based  on  the  results  of  the  mid-term  evaluation,  the  programme  will  make  it  simpler  for 
competent national authorities to prepare applications. To simplify procedures and reduce the 
administrative burden, the calculation of the amounts to be granted will be made clearer and 
the programme more user-friendly. The legislation will be amended to allow more flexibility 
in the use of the granted amount; this objective will be achieved by simplifying those financial 
provisions  in  the  programme  which  define  strictly  the  specific  costs  to  be  borne  by  the 
Member States and by the Commission. 

Another  simplification  measure  envisaged  involves  directly  informing  and  consulting  the 
Member States’ representatives in the Euro Counterfeiting Experts Group (ECEG) at different 
stages of implementation of the programme. 

2 

See Articles 8-11 of Council Decision 2001/923/EC of 17 December 2001. 

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9. 

MONITORING AND EVALUATION 

Annual  reports  on  results,  including  consistency  and  complementarity  with  other  EU 
programmes,  will  be  made  to  the  European  Parliament  and  to  the  Council;  in  addition,  an 
independent  assessment  of  achievement  of  the  objectives  of  the  programme  —  mid-term 
evaluation  —  is  planned  (not  later  than  31  December  2017).  Also,  a  final  report  on  the 
achievement of the objectives of the programme will be sent to the budgetary authority by the 
end of 2021. 

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