5. Acknowledges from the Court of Auditors that in 2012, the Centre awarded grants to research institutions and individuals and that the total grant expenditure amounted to EUR 752 000 , representing 1,4 % of the 2012 operating expenditure; is concerned that the Centre does not usually obtain any documents to substantiate the eligibility and accuracy of the costs claimed by beneficiaries; notes that while the Centre has adopted an ex post verification strategy and has planned for its implementation in 2012, no ex post verifications of 2012 grant expenditure have yet taken place; acknowledges that for the transactions audited by the Co ...[+++]urt of Auditors, supporting documentation was obtained by the Centre on the Court’s behalf, which provided reasonable assurance as to the legality and regularity of those transactions;

3. Points out that many useful instruments already exist at EU level and that these instruments include the EU’s Emergency and Crisis Coordination Arrangements, European Civil Protection, EEAS Crisis Response and Operational Coordination, EU Intelligence Analysis Centre, the Commission’s Strategic Analysis and Response Capability, Europol’s First Response Network, CBRN Action Plan, Atlas Network, ARGUS and agencies such as Frontex; notes that the Solidarity Clause should avoid creating new in ...[+++]struments and opt for the coordination, adaptation or strengthening of these instruments for the purposes of preventing and responding to disasters and attacks in accordance with the principles of necessity and proportionality;

2. Appreciates that, for the period 2007-2013, all the Member States have devoted a significant amount of their total financial allocations to RD, innovation and development of a knowledge-based economy, resulting in 246 National or Regional Operational Programmes, with around EUR 86 billion allocated to research and innovation, of which EUR 50 billion has already been allocated for core RD and innovation activities; stresses that, since research and innovation are essential for the improvement of EU competitiveness in the face of gl ...[+++]obal challenges, investments in these fields must continue and regular results-based assessments of progress must be conducted; recommends, therefore, with a view to the next programming period, that the Member States and the Commission allocate sufficient resources from the structural funds for research and innovation, in particular sustainable innovation, and strengthen research capacities; stresses the need to promote and apply successful models in the knowledge triangle to ensure the sustainable development of regional research and strategic frameworks for innovation, in collaboration with enterprises, research centres, universities and public authorities; highlights the potential of knowledge-intensive regional innovative clusters in mobilising regional competitiveness and calls for better coordination of the structural funds and the Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development;

1. The operational budget shall form part of the general budget and consist of appropriations for procuring external advice, notably operational analysis, essential for the Agency to discharge its tasks, and for specific research and technology activities for the common benefit of all participating Member States, notably technical case studies and pre-feasibility studies.

In particular, Section H of the Plan of Action provides for the creation of the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), with responsibility for carrying out training measures, conducting studies on terrorism, setting up a database system for gathering, exchanging and analysing intelligence, as well as for terrorism-related surveillance and alerts.

Evaluating the success and operational impact of the cycle of intelligence gathering, analysis, distribution and resulting operational action, and seeking the improvements thus revealed.