The Commission has introduced a new Certification system in FP7 on the beneficiaries' financial statements. This new system aims to streamline and standardise the audit process, rationalise the number of audit certificates and make the process simpler for both auditors and beneficiaries.The Commission has also recently announced a new strategy with respect to financial audits of research projects. Its stated intention is to increase significantly the number of audits carried out by the Commission for both FP6 and FP7 projects.This one day briefing will look at the impact of these changes and how research projects and auditors can deal with them. It will analyse how the rules are being applied and highlight strategic issues for beneficiaries.The briefing will be led by John Stringer, a UK Barrister and Simon Walker, an experienced R&D funding professional. Both speakers have extensive experience of the management of FP6 and FP7 projects and of responding to audits by the Commission services. Cost: 300