BRUSSELS, July 3 (Reuter) - The European Commission accused Canada on Monday of failing to implement an agreement to settle a bitter dispute over fishing for Greenland halibut (turbot) in the North Atlantic.

The Commission, which negotiates for the 15-nation EU, said the EU was implementing control and enforcement measures but Canada was dragging its feet over fixing catch quotas.

"The Canadians are not behaving as the EU had expected, casting doubt on their good faith in implementing the April agreement in full," EU Fisheries Commissioner Emma Bonino said in a statement.

The Commission said the Canadians avoided discussing the allocation of 1996 catch quotas at a meeting in Brussels last week and instead attacked the EU for not taking action against two Spanish vessels which had allegedly broken fishing rules.

The Canadian allegations were rejected by the Commission which said it had taken legal action against one vessel while the second complaint was received less than 72 hours before the meeting.

"It is unclear what game they are playing," Bonino added.

But EU sources said Canada could be trying to raise the stakes ahead of the final session of the United Nations conference on the conservation of straddling fish stocks in New York between July 24 and August 4.

A Commission fisheries spokesman said the EU hoped to hold further talks with Canada on sharing Greenland halibut catches though no date had yet been fixed for another meeting.

The EU wants to draw up a joint proposal with Canada to present to the 14-member Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation's annual meeting in Nova Scotia, Canada, in September.

"We are concerned about what is happening because we don't want another crisis," spokesman Marco Zatterin said, adding the EU would stop fishing for Greenland halibut when it had caught the 5,013 tonnes it was allowed.