2001/515/JHA: Council Decision of 28 June 2001 establishing a programme of incentives and exchanges, training and cooperation for the prevention of crime (Hippokrates)

Council Decision
of 28 June 2001
establishing a programme of incentives and exchanges, training and cooperation for the prevention of crime (Hippokrates)
(2001/515/JHA)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 30(1), 31 and 34(2)(c) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(2),
Whereas:
(1) Article 29 of the Treaty on European Union states that the Union's objective is to provide citizens with a high level of safety within an area of freedom, security and justice by developing common action among the Member States, in particular in the field of prevention of crime, whether or not organised.
(2) The conclusions of the Tampere European Council call for cooperation in the fight against crime to be stepped up and for the possibility of establishing a programme financed by the Community to support this cooperation to be studied.
(3) Experience gained in managing the other intervention programmes financed by the Community, such as Oisin and Falcone, confirms the value of a similar instrument for crime prevention, to be charged to the general budget of the European Union.
(4) The optimum effectiveness of the intervention of the European Union will be ensured if it extends to all forms of crime, whether or not organised.
(5) The complexity of the phenomenon of crime in the Member States and the diversity of prevention policies already implemented by the Member States create a need for multidisciplinary approaches based on familiarity with crime.
(6) This programme, like the other programmes for cooperation in justice and home affairs, is open to the applicant countries with a view to facilitating their participation in the projects supported by the programme.
(7) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted in accordance with the procedures set out herein.
(8) A financial reference amount, within the meaning of point 34 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure(3), is included in this Decision for the entire duration of the programme, without thereby affecting the powers of the budgetary authority as they are defined by the EC Treaty,