23. The problem of the regional and local authorities' capacity to contribute to project design has been addressed in the national Tacis programmes by using EU experts to develop the initial outline submitted by the local counterpart into project terms of reference.

3. Recalls that the Joint Undertaking adopted an ex post audit strategy in 2010 that is a key tool in assessing the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions and that its implementation started in 2011; notes that the audit of project cost claims has been delegated to the National Funding Authorities (NFAs) of the Member States however the administrative agreements signed with the NFAs do not include the practical arrangements for those audits; further notes from the Joint Undertaking that the various financing schemes and national rules in place in the different Member States imply that ex-post audit is only feasible on ...[+++]completed projects and request to be informed of the results of the audits performed; reiterates that the Joint Undertaking should reinforce without delay the quality of its ex-ante controls in particular for the grant management, requests that the discharge authority is informed of the results of the following ex-post audit processes conducted by the Joint Undertaking;

11. Welcomes and supports the Commission's proposal on the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ and the Project Bonds Initiative, and calls on the Member States to implement the core network, since the TEN-T concept should provide for a limited number of sustainable projects with European added value and with greater and realistic funding; urges that:

6. Welcomes the intention of the Commission to set up a guarantee scheme under the 7th RTD Framework Programme to better leverage loan financing of European research projects and infrastructures, in particular by the EIB; encourages the Commission to take into account, in the context of the proposed scheme, the special needs of SMEs and to consider the possibility of extending such schemes to EUREKA projects.

125. Welcomes the intention of the Commission to set up a guarantee scheme under the FP7 to better leverage loan financing of European research projects and infrastructures, in particular by the EIB; encourages the Commission to take into account, in the context of the proposed scheme, the special needs of SMEs and to consider the possibility of extending such schemes to EUREKA projects;

129. 129 Welcomes the intention of the Commission to set up a guarantee scheme under the FP7 to better leverage loan financing of European research projects and infrastructures, in particular by the EIB; encourages the Commission to take into account, in the context of the proposed scheme, the special needs of SMEs and to consider the possibility of extending such schemes to EUREKA projects;