{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2004-867/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2004-867/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2004/867",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision of 13 December 2004 amending Decision 2002/463/EC adopting an action programme for administrative cooperation in the fields of external borders, visas, asylum and immigration (ARGO programme) (2004/867/EC)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2004-867",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Decision\nof 13 December 2004\namending Decision 2002/463/EC adopting an action programme for administrative cooperation in the fields of external borders, visas, asylum and immigration (ARGO programme)\n(2004/867/EC)\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 66 thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the Commission,\nHaving regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament,\nHaving regard to the Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee,\nAfter consulting the Committee of the Regions,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nThe principal objective of Decision 2002/463/EC is to promote administrative cooperation in the fields of external borders, visas, asylum and immigration.\n(2)\nIn its Communication to the European Parliament and to the Council of 3 June 2003 on the development of a Common policy on illegal immigration, smuggling and trafficking of human beings, external borders and the return of illegal residents the Commission puts forward the possibility of revising the ARGO programme for providing financial support to national projects in the area of external borders by addressing specific structural weaknesses at strategic border points that would be identified in agreement with the Member States on the basis of objective criteria.\n(3)\nThe European Council of Thessaloniki invited the Commission to examine the possibility of appropriating funds under heading 3 of the financial perspectives in order to address, during the period 2004-2006, the most pressing structural needs and to cover a wider definition of solidarity that would include, inter alia, Community support in the management of external borders.\n(4)\nThe budgetary authority has substantially increased the appropriations allocated to the ARGO programme for 2004, with a view to better management of the external borders.\n(5)\nIn order to promote the general objectives of the ARGO programme it is appropriate to increase the number of actions to be proposed in the area of external borders and to envisage new types of action.\n(6)\nIn order to make it more accessible to national administrations, Member States should be able to propose actions which do not necessarily involve other Member States, but which contribute to the general objectives and support the activities in the area of external borders as set out in Decision No 2002/463/EC.\n(7)\nAn indicative ceiling should be set on the available appropriations earmarked for actions by a single Member State.\n(8)\nThe provisions on the consultation of the ARGO Committee in Decision No 2002/463/EC must be aligned with the new Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Union.\n(9)\nIn accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark is not participating in the adoption of this Decision, and is therefore not bound by it or subject to its application.\n(10)\nIn accordance with Article 3 of the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland annexed to the Treaty on the European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, the United Kingdom has notified its wish to take part in the adoption and application of the present Decision.\n(11)\nIn accordance with Article 1 of the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Ireland is not participating in the adoption of this Decision. As a result, and without prejudice to Article 4 of the said Protocol, the provisions of this Decision do not apply to Ireland.\n(12)\nDecision No 2002/463/EC should therefore be amended accordingly,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Opinion delivered on 17.11.2004 (not yet published in the Official Journal)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "Opinion delivered on 27.10.2004 (not yet published in the Official Journal)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "OJ L 161, 19.6.2002, p. 11."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f4",
      "text": "General budget of the EU for the financial year 2004 (OJ L 53, 23.2.2004)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f5",
      "text": "OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2004/867/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:18:03.822763+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}