THE SNP government are expected to escape being fined for missing the deadline for paying out EU farm subsidies - but only because Scotland is part of the UK.

Although the EU standard is 95 per cent compliance by June 30, it emerged the Scottish Government would enjoy extra leeway because the rest of the UK had been so efficient.

It meant SNP ministers, who also missed the deadline last year because of a botched £178m IT system, were able to get by with paying just 90 per cent of subsidies on time.

European Commission sources indicated that as long as the UK-wide figure was above 95 per cent, Scotland would not be considered in breach of the rules or face a fine.

Audit Scotland has suggested the penalty could have been £60m.

The Scottish Tories claimed the Nationalist administration had been saved by the Union.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing admitted earlier this week that he expected his officials to “fall short by a few percentage points” of the 95 per cent target by midnight.

However he stressed farmers and crofters already had access to contingency loans, and the government had asked Brussels for an extension to mid-October if it was required.

By midnight on Thursday, more than 87 per cent of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments had been processed, representing £331m for 15,991 farmers and crofters.

Mr Ewing said: “I expect the vast majority of farmers and crofters will receive all their basic and greening 2016 payments by the end of Friday.

"We recognise that while we are making progress, we still need to do better.

"Our priority remains completing payments for farmers and crofters as quickly as possible in the coming weeks and officials are working incredibly hard to do just that - and will continue to do so beyond today to make as many outstanding payments as quickly as possible."

A Scottish Tory spokesman said: “The SNP government's handling of farm payments has been a fiasco from start to finish.

"It now appears the Scottish Government has been saved from paying a massive fine because the performance in other parts of the UK has been far better and has ensured the targets for payments across the UK has been passed.

"It is another embarrassment for the SNP."

"It is now incumbent on the nationalists to sort out the remaining payments as soon as possible so rural Scotland isn't damaged any more by their incompetence."

A European Commission source said: “The Commission is in contact with the Scottish government and is continuing to consider the case made for an extension in the CAP payment deadline. We understand that there was a significant acceleration of payments this week and we wait to see what the execution rate is at the end of the day."

LibDem MSP Mike Rumbles added: “The shambolic incompetence of this Scottish Government is making life hell for farmers.

“As if it’s not enough that this deadline has been blown past, the government is unable to offer any reassurances that we won’t see these problems again next year.

“Mr Ewing should be spending this summer touring rural areas apologising to all of those farmers who have had to wait for months for their payments and who have now lost all trust in this Government to deliver on their promises.

“Meanwhile the summer recess will give Nicola Sturgeon time to consider whether she still has faith in her minister to deliver for our rural economy.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We have asked the European Commission for an extension to the deadline, and are hopeful that late payment penalties can be avoided.”