Fuel aid for fishing companies: 18 million euros released

The Official Journal of the French Republic published, in its JORF No. 0226 of September 27, 2026, a decree creating cash flow assistance intended for sea fishing companies and their crews, in order to cope with the increase in energy prices in the context of the conflict in the Middle East. Decree No. 2026-898 of September 26, 2026 (NOR TECM2619052D) establishes the principle and funding of the scheme, which the order of the same day (NOR TECM2619054A) makes operational by specifying the eligibility conditions and the procedures for submitting applications.

The scheme is linked to the temporary framework for State aid in response to the crisis in the Middle East, point (75) of which imposes a transparency obligation for individual aid exceeding 10,000 euros. The decree is signed by the Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature, the Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty, and the Minister for Action and Public Accounts.

A simple calculation: 25 cents per liter

The aid takes the form of a direct grant calculated based on the liters of professional fuel purchased between June 1 and August 31, 2026 inclusive, within the European Union or in third countries, for vessels equipped for fishing flying the French flag and operated solely for professional fishing.

Amount: number of liters purchased over the period and paid for at the time of the application, multiplied by 25 cents.
Total budget: 18 million euros, part of which is allocated to management costs; aid is granted within the limit of available credits.
Geographical scope: Mainland France, Corsica, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, and Saint Martin.

Who can benefit

The implementing order requires an active SIRET number in the INSEE Sirene directory certifying an establishment located in France, as well as a NAF/APE code 0311Z or, failing that, turnover from the production of fishery products representing at least 50% of the total turnover of the last closed financial year.

The applicant must be up to date with their social and tax obligations on the date of the application; companies that have not paid their contributions must have entered into, or be committed to entering into, a repayment plan. Excluded are companies subject to an unexecuted recovery injunction for aid deemed illegal by the European Commission, as well as those already in difficulty within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 651/2014, subject to a derogation for micro and small enterprises.

Submission of applications: until October 30, 2026

Only one application may be submitted per eligibility period, and it covers the entirety of that period. The file includes, in particular, sworn statements, a piece of identification, a bank account details (RIB), as well as proof of the volume purchased, established by a chartered accountant, a statutory auditor, or a management and accounting association, or by a trusted third party for micro-enterprises not subject to account certification.

Submission deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026; after this deadline, files are deemed ineligible.
Incomplete file: four weeks are granted to provide the missing information, failing which the application is rejected.
Retention of supporting documents: ten years from the granting of the aid.

Processing, controls and sanctions

The processing of applications, granting decisions, payment, and recovery of overpayments are entrusted to the Agence de services et de paiement (ASP), which may seek the opinion of the (interregional) maritime directorate. Payment is made after deducting assignments, oppositions, and claims notified to the ASP.

Any false declaration results in the reimbursement of the aid received, increased by 50% in the case of a deliberate breach and by 100% in the case of fraudulent maneuvers. Individual grants exceeding 10,000 euros are published via the Transparency award module (TAM) of the European Commission within six months of being granted.

For shipping companies and fishers, the stakes are immediate: the scheme opens a right to compensation for a period that has already passed, but it closes on October 30, 2026, with a file whose centerpiece—the certification of the volume of fuel purchased and paid for—must be produced by an authorized third party. Companies that submit late or incomplete applications permanently lose the benefit of the aid, with no possibility of regularization beyond the four-week period provided for by the decree.