Bench Audit Review Form

5. Takes note of the comment on internal controls made by the Court of Auditors; is at the same time aware of the Agency's reply; welcomes the fact that the Agency has intensified its checks on the eligibility and accuracy of staff costs claimed under the grant programmes but underlines the Court of Auditors' assessment that more should be done in this regard; takes note that the Court of Auditors has highlighted that on-the-spot verifications of costs at beneficiary level are rare and takes the view that they should therefore be carried out more often;

3. Recognises the comment on internal controls made by the Court of Auditors; is at the same time aware of the Agency's reply; has carefully taken note that the Agency has drawn up an action plan to ensure reasonable assurance on cost statements; welcomes further the decision to increase the number of on-the-spot verifications to ensure the best management as to eligibility and accuracy of costs;

4. Recalls that the Institute introduced complementary ex post verifications for grant transactions as a second layer of assurance on the legality and regularity of grant transactions; acknowledges that the Institute carried out “on the spot” audits covering around 40 % of the grants paid under the 2013 Grant Agreements; notes that these audits resulted in the recovery of EUR 263 239, out of the total audited amount of EUR 29 163 272; acknowledges that the detected error rate in the audited sample is 0,90 % and the residual error r ...[+++]ate is 0,69 %, which is below the materiality threshold of 2 %; notes that the Court has not raised any comments or findings in relation to ex ante or ex post verifications in its preliminary observations for the financial year 2014;

4. Recalls that the Institute introduced complementary ex post verifications for grant transactions as a second layer of assurance on the legality and regularity of grant transactions; acknowledges that the Institute carried out “on the spot” audits covering around 40 % of the grants paid under the 2013 Grant Agreements; notes that these audits resulted in the recovery of EUR 263 239, out of the total audited amount of EUR 29 163 272; acknowledges that the detected error rate in the audited sample is 0,90 % and the residual error r ...[+++]ate is 0,69 %, which is below the materiality threshold of 2 %; notes that the Court has not raised any comments or findings in relation to ex ante or ex post verifications in its preliminary observations for the financial year 2014;