THE European Commission is coming under increasing criticism for failing to correct an administrative blunder which has reduced the number of days which some Scottish vessels can spend at sea.
The error, which goes back to the EU Fishing Agreement for 2007, has led to a four week reduction in the length of time vessels could spend fishing off the west of Scotland - down from 280 days to 252 days The allocation was part of a cod recovery plan for the protection of cod in the ground off the West of Scotland and in the North Sea.
The row began with a complaint from the Clyde Fishermen's Association, but has since widened. Now the EU Ombudsman, which is supporting the fishermen's claims, has given the Commission until the end of June to acknowledge its mistake and deal with the issue. So far the Commission is refusing to acknowledge that it has done anything wrong.
The Scottish Fishermen's Federation, which is supporting the Clyde Fishermen's Association, said someone in the Commission mixed up two columns of figures, putting the data for the reduced allocation of fishing days for North Sea boats in the column for West of Scotland boats.
In a statement issued on Friday, Mr Diamandouros said: "The Commission's defensive approach in this case represents a missed opportunity for the institution and risks damaging the image of the union's administration in the eyes of citizens. He added: "I hope that its follow-up, which I have requested by 30 June 2010, will be more encouraging and constructive."
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