Brussels clears 25 million euro French fishing fuel aid scheme

The European Commission has raised no objections to a French state aid scheme worth 25 million euros to support fishing companies affected by the rise in fuel prices between 1 June and 31 October 2026, in the context of the war in Iran. The decision was adopted on 29 September 2026 and published on 5 November 2026 in the Official Journal of the European Union, C series, under case number SA.124553 and document reference C/2026/5854. The authorisation appears in the list of aid cases approved under Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

What the Commission has authorised

The scheme is registered under the label METSAF and is described as a direct grant measure targeting marine fishing. According to the standard transparency table published in the Official Journal, its parameters are:

• Budget: overall budget of 25 000 000 EUR.
• Intensity: 70,0 % of eligible costs.
• Form of aid: direct grant.
• Objective: fisheries and aquaculture.
• Economic sector: marine fishing.
• Duration: until 31 March 2027.
• Compensation period: fuel price increases recorded from 1 June to 31 October 2026.

The scheme is aimed at “entreprises de pêche”, French fishing undertakings, affected by the fuel price rise attributable to the war in Iran. France notified it as a scheme, rather than as an individual award, leaving the national administration to distribute the envelope among eligible beneficiaries.

National legal basis and granting authority

The legal basis cited in the notification is a set of draft national instruments: a decree and an order (“projets de décret et d’arrêté”) establishing the aid scheme for fishing companies affected by the fuel price increase over the June–October 2026 period. The scheme is to be administered by the Direction générale des affaires maritimes, de la pêche et de l’aquaculture (DGAMPA), based at Tour Sequoia, 1 Place Carpeaux, 92 800 Puteaux. The authentic text of the decision, with confidential information removed, is available through the Commission’s competition case register.

One file among a series of fuel-compensation decisions

The French scheme is part of a broader sequence of Commission clearances for national measures compensating companies for costs linked to the Middle East crisis, several of them also labelled METSAF:

• Malta: SA.124035, 700 000 EUR, 70,0 % intensity, published in C/2026/4856 on 17 September 2026.
• Germany: SA.124349, 4 500 000 EUR, published in C/2026/4925 on 22 September 2026.
• Portugal: SA.124487, 30 000 000 EUR covering agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, published in C/2026/4855 on 16 September 2026.
• Spain: SA.122723, 500 000 000 EUR with 70,0 % intensity, published in C/2026/4551 on 27 August 2026.
• France (separate instrument): SA.124159, the “Prêt Flash Carburant” guarantee and soft-loan scheme covering agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture with 17 200 000 EUR, published in C/2026/5766 on 30 October 2026.

Paris had already obtained clearance on 9 October 2026 for that guarantee-based instrument, which is channelled through Bpifrance and runs until 31 December 2026. The new scheme published on 5 November is sector-specific, limited to marine fishing, and extends to 31 March 2027, three months beyond the loan facility.

Impact for the sector

The green light gives the French fishing fleet access to a dedicated 25 million euro envelope at a moment when fuel represents one of the heaviest operating costs for vessel operators, with public support covering up to 70 % of the eligible loss. Because the aid is structured as a national scheme administered by the DGAMPA, its practical effect for shipowners will depend on the adoption of the decree and order cited as the legal basis and on the conditions those texts set for claiming compensation.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, C/2026/5854, 5 November 2026, C series (official reference: SA.124553).