EC/Guinea-Bissau fisheries agreement: financial support

The committee adopted the report by Arlindo CUNHA (EPP-ED, P) approving the proposal under the consultation procedure, subject to a few amendments. The committee felt that the clause stipulating that financial support would be granted for a maximum period of one year should be deleted as it would be difficult for the Guinea-Bissau Government to carry out its action programme within one year owing to the lack of organisation in the country's public services resulting from the armed conflict. For the same reasons, it also proposed that the deadline for submission by the government of the detailed report setting out its action programme should be extended to 31 May 2003 and that a deadline of 31 May 2001 be set for the first payment of the financial aid granted. Lastly, the committee wanted the budgetary authority to be informed of all financial and budgetary transactions arising from the proposal and to receive full explanations. It argued that the special character of the proposal and its history meant that the budgetary authority should monitor the implementation of the present action more closely than in the case of other fisheries agreements.�