Strasbourg, 18/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - By adopting the report by Arlindo Cunha (Portuguese, EPP), the European Parliament approved, with four amendments, the Council's decision on the granting of financial assistance to Guinea-Bissau, for a maximum of 6.5 million euro, for the restoration of fisheries infrastructures and to support the fishing industry. This amount corresponds to the part unpaid of the financial compensation provided for under the fisheries agreement that was suspended due to the conflict of which this country was the theatre between June 1998 and April 1999. The aid is to be paid in two stages between now and May on the basis of an action programme that the government has to submit. It is this last point that Parliament's amendments dispute, considering the time allowed to be too short given the great difficulties encountered by the government in reorganising its administrative services and procedures. It calls for 50% of the aid to be paid before 31 May 2001 and that the remainder of the aid be conditional on the government's presenting a report on the implementation of the action programme not having to occur before 31 May 2003.