SCHEVENINGEN, June 7, 2008 (AFP) - EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg on Saturday promised relief 'within weeks' for European fishermen who say they face bankruptcy in the face of soaring fuel prices.

Conceding that Europe's fishing industry is in dire straits, Borg told journalists at the Dutch seaport of Scheveningen, near The Hague, that he has instructed his staff to come up with ideas for short-term assistance.

'I will be receiving a document Wednesday,' he said after a meeting with Dutch Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg in the wake of several days of protests and harbour blockades by angry fishermen.

'I will then discuss it with a number of my colleagues in order to get their views on what is possible,' he added, with a view to finalising proposals next week for approval by fellow EU commissioners in Brussels.

Giving an assurance that the European Commission -- the European Union's executive branch -- is moving with all due speed, Borg said: 'It is a question of weeks, not months.'

Once approved, proposals that the commission -- which overseas a Europe-wide Common Fisheries Policy -- could execute by itself will be put into action 'immediately,' he explained.

Those requiring the approval of the European Parliament and the 27 EU member states, however, will probably need 'a few months' to be implemented.

Spain, France, Italy and Portugal -- big players in Europe's fishing industry -- joined forces Friday to call for urgent EU measures to tackle the impact of record fuel prices on fisheries.

Marine diesel prices have leaped by around 30 percent since the start of 2008, triggering protests in European ports as well as warnings that fishing boat owners face bankruptcy without higher subsidies.

The issue is set to dominate a meeting of EU fisheries ministers in Luxembourg on June 23.