Article 1 
1. For the purposes of contributing to the enhanced implementation of the EU Strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as the EU Strategy against illicit firearms, small arms and light weapons and their ammunition, the support of the activities of the European network of independent non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks is hereby continued in order to further the following objectives: (a) to encourage political and security-related research and debate within civil societies and, in particular, among experts, researchers and academics, on measures to prevent and combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems, and the proliferation of conventional weapons, including on export control; (b) to provide those participating in the relevant preparatory bodies of the Council with the opportunity to consult the European network of independent non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks on issues referred to in point (a); (c) to support reflection and decision making in the Council on issues referred to in point (a), in particular by providing reports, recommendations, or both, to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the ‘High Representative’) and the Member States; (d) to contribute to enhancing third countries’ awareness of proliferation and disarmament challenges and to promote the need to work to address those challenges in cooperation with the Union, including in the context of multilateral fora; (e) to contribute to the development of expertise and institutional capacity related to issues referred to in point (a) in think tanks and governments in the Union and third countries, including by strengthening related education, raising awareness among the younger generations and promoting the next generation of researchers and practitioners, especially women. 2. The project to be supported by the Union shall include the following specific activities: (a) organisation of an annual conference each calendar year; (b) organisation of an annual consultative meeting each calendar year; (c) organisation of ad hoc seminars, side events and expert briefings; (d) publication of policy papers; (e) promotion and strengthening of education, through e-learning infrastructure and courses, a teaching resource hub, and a proliferation awareness training course; (f) promotion of non-proliferation and disarmament-related issues to young women and to the next generation, through an internship programme and the Young Women and Next Generation Initiative; (g) the annual United Nations Disarmament Fellows’ visits to the Union institutions in Brussels; (h) outreach and communication, including operation of the EU Non-Proliferation Consortium’s (the ‘Consortium’) website and network platform, and production of a podcast. A detailed description of the project is set out in the Annex.
Article 2 
1. The High Representative shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decision. 2. Technical implementation of the activities referred to in Article 1(2) shall be carried out by the Consortium, consisting of the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique (FRS), the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), the International Institute for Strategic Studies Europe (IISS-Europe), the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the International Affairs Institute (IAI) in Rome and the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP). 3. The Consortium shall perform the technical implementation of the activities referred to in Article 1(2) under the responsibility of the High Representative. For this purpose, the High Representative shall enter into the necessary arrangements with the Consortium. 4. Member States and the European External Action Service shall propose priorities and topics of specific interest for assessment in the Consortium’s research programmes, to be addressed in working documents and seminars, in accordance with the policies of the Union.
Article 3 
1. The financial reference amount for the implementation of the project covering the activities referred to in Article 1(2) shall be EUR 4 500 000. 2. The expenditure financed by the reference amount set out in paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the procedures and rules applicable to the Union budget. 3. The Commission shall supervise the proper management of the expenditure set out in paragraph 1. For this purpose, it shall conclude a grant agreement with the Consortium. The agreement shall stipulate that the Consortium is to ensure visibility of the Union’s contribution, appropriate to its size. 4. The Commission shall endeavour to conclude the agreement referred to in paragraph 3 as soon as possible after the entry into force of this Decision. It shall inform the Council of any difficulties in that process and of the date of conclusion of the agreement.
Article 4 
1. The High Representative shall report to the Council on the implementation of this Decision on the basis of regular reports prepared by the Consortium. Those reports shall form the basis for the evaluation carried out by the Council. 2. The Commission shall report on the financial aspects of the project referred to in Article 1(2).
Article 5 
1. This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption. 2. This Decision shall expire 36 months after the date of conclusion of the agreement referred to in Article 3(3). However, this Decision shall expire 6 months after its adoption if such agreement has not been concluded by that time.