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REPORT (COM(2025)0462 – C100195/2025 – 2025/0258(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting for the period 2028-2034 (the 'Pericles V' programme) and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/840

A-10-2026-0256

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs · Rapporteur: Michael McNamara

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Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament's amended version of the Commission proposal sets up the Pericles V programme to protect the euro against counterfeiting and counterfeiting-related fraud for 2028-2034, replacing Regulation (EU) 2021/840. It sets the programme budget at EUR 7 811 000 in current prices (EUR 6 942 000 in 2025 prices) and widens the objective to emerging threats, including the future digital euro and artificial intelligence. It adds rules on cooperation with the ECB, Europol and Eurojust, on synergies with other Union programmes, on monitoring and annual reporting to Parliament, the Council and the ECB, and on third-country capacity-building.

Committee position. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopts Parliament's position at first reading with amendments to the Commission proposal, adding recitals and articles on the programme's scope, budget, governance, monitoring and reporting, and calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it substantially amends its proposal.

Key points

  1. The programme aims to prevent and combat counterfeiting and counterfeiting-related fraud and other emerging threats to the authenticity, integrity or functioning of the euro.
  2. The specific objective covers threats to the future digital euro, AI-enabled forgery and AI-assisted evasion of detection systems, and investigational opportunities offered by AI.
  3. The programme envelope for 2028-2034 is set at EUR 7 811 000 in current prices, equal to EUR 6 942 000 in 2025 prices.
  4. Member States, Union institutions, bodies and agencies, relevant third countries, international organisations, international financial institutions and other third parties may make additional financial or non-financial contributions.
  5. The programme is to be implemented in synergy with other Union programmes, and the Commission must address those synergies in the Programme Performance Statement and in programming and reporting documents.
  6. The Commission is to implement the programme in cooperation with Member States through regular consultations, taking into account activities of the ECB, Europol and Eurojust when preparing work programmes.
  7. Eligibility criteria must take due account of those consultations while preserving the Commission's responsibility to implement the Union budget.
  8. Work programmes are to be regularly updated to take into account the emerging developments specified for the specific objective.
  9. Indicators are set out in the Performance Regulation, and the Commission is to provide annual reports on results to Parliament, the Council and the ECB, including funded actions, budgets and participating entities.
  10. Information exchange and dissemination are to target in particular protection of the euro outside the Union and prevention of imports of counterfeited banknotes and coins produced outside the euro area.
  11. Eligible participants are to include digital currency and blockchain experts, cybersecurity specialists and AI and machine learning engineers.
  12. The programme is to respect the values of Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and Charter rights, and the rule-of-law conditionality regime for the Union budget applies to it.

Who is affected

  • Member States' competent authorities, which receive support and take part in exchanges, training and cooperation.
  • The Commission, which implements the programme, prepares work programmes and reports annually.
  • The ECB, Europol and Eurojust, whose activities must be taken into account and which receive annual reports.
  • Relevant third countries and international organisations, which may take part in cooperation and capacity-building.
  • Recipients of Union funds, who face proportionate reporting requirements and must cooperate in protecting the Union's financial interests.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 7 811 000 in current prices — the programme envelope for 2028-2034.
  • EUR 6 942 000 in 2025 prices — the same envelope expressed in 2025 prices.
  • 2028-2034 — the period for which the programme is established.
  • approximately 444 000 counterfeit euro banknotes withdrawn from circulation in 2025.
  • around 80 % — share of detected counterfeit banknotes accounted for by the 20 euro and 50 euro denominations.

Legal basis: Article 294(2) and Article 133 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.