Brussels, 17/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - In its adoption, last Thursday, the report by Agustin Diaz De Mera Garcia (EPP-ED, Spain), the Parliament hopes to extend access to the Pericles action programme, which was launched on 1 January 2002, to all Member States of the EU, as it is currently reserved for members of the euro zone. This programme focuses on exchanges, assistance and training for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting and is open to people faced with this job in their professional capacity (police agents, customs officers, civil servants, the representatives of national or commercial banks, judges, public prosecutors, lawyers, except for). With its vote, which was purely consultative, the Parliament has expressed its support to proposed decisions of the Council to adapt and extend for six years the Pericles programme, which is due to expire on 31 December 2005. Thereafter, the new period will run from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2011, with the same budgetary contribution of one million a year, and the Member States which have not adopted the euro will also be eligible for the programme.