The action programme has been drawn up as the successor to the joint action for the period 1998-2002, adopted by the Council in March 1998, introducing a programme of training, exchanges and cooperation in the fields of asylum, immigration and crossing of external borders (known as ODYSSEUS) with the ultimate objective of standardising the applicability of Community law in the fields referred to above so that third-country nationals might enjoy equal treatment irrespective of which national administration they approach in the Member States.
Ce programme d'action succède à une action commune, adoptée par le Conseil en mars 1998, instaurant pour la période 1998-2002 un programme de formation, d'échanges et de coopération dans le domaine des politiques de l'asile, de l'immigration et du franchissement des frontières extérieures (programme ODYSSEUS).