The European Commission has approved a €30 million State aid scheme for agricultural, fishery and aquaculture companies facing increased fuel and fertiliser prices due to the Middle East crisis.
The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 April 2026.
The Portuguese scheme
Portugal notified to the Commission a €30 million scheme to support companies active in the primary production of agricultural, fishery and aquaculture products. The scheme, which will run until 31 December 2026, aims to mitigate the impact of the increase in agricultural fuel and fertiliser prices.
The aid will take the form of direct grants. The scheme concerns the grant of a limited amount of aid calibrated on the increase of the prices of fuel and fertilisers with a maximum of €50,000 per company. For the agricultural sector, the aid for fertilisers is based on a fixed amount depending on the number of hectares of agricultural surface and the animals of the company. The aid for fuel costs consists of €0.10 per litre of agricultural or marine diesel consumed from 1 April to 30 June 2026.
The Commission assessed the scheme under EU State aid rules, in particular Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which enables Member States to support the development of certain economic activities subject to certain conditions, as well as Sections 1 and 2.1 of the METSAF.
The Commission found that the scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the METSAF. In particular, the aid will be granted based on a scheme with a clear estimated budget and will be provided to temporarily support the development of companies active in the primary production of agricultural, fishery and aquaculture products. The Commission concluded that the scheme is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to facilitate the development of an economic activity and does not adversely affect trading conditions to an extent contrary to the common interest.
On this basis, the Commission approved the Portuguese scheme under EU State aid rules.
- Publication date
- 7 September 2026