EU clears €30M Portuguese aid for agriculture and fisheries

The European Commission has raised no objections to a €30 million Portuguese State-aid scheme supporting the agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors hit by the Middle East conflict. The decision, adopted on 2 September 2026, was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (C series) on 16 September 2026 under reference C/2026/4855 (aid number SA.124487).

The scheme, known as METSAF (“Apoios financeiros aos setores agrícola, das pescas e da aquicultura em consequência do conflito no Médio Oriente”), provides direct grants to undertakings active in primary production in mainland Portugal (Continente). It is designed to compensate for the increased costs caused by the crisis in the Middle East.

Legal basis and scope

The measure rests on two Portuguese legal instruments: points 7 and 10 of the annex to Resolução do Conselho de Ministros no 107/2026 of 3 June 2026, and Article 17 (“Recuperação de pagamentos indevidos”) of Decreto-Lei no 80-A/2026 of 31 March 2026, as amended.

The aid is granted as a direct-grant scheme covering the following economic sectors:

Fishing and aquaculture
Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities

The overall budget is €30,000,000, and the scheme runs until 31 December 2026.

Granting authority

The aid is administered by the Instituto de Financiamento da Agricultura e Pescas, I.P. (IFAP), based at Rua Castilho, no 45-51, 1269-164 Lisboa. The Commission’s assessment concluded that the measure is compatible with the internal market under Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and it therefore raised no objections.

The decision is part of a broader wave of METSAF schemes approved across the EU in response to the Middle East crisis, including similar measures in Spain, Italy and Sweden, all of which run until the end of 2026.

Impact

For Portuguese farmers, fishers and aquaculture producers, the scheme offers a timely financial cushion against rising input and operating costs linked to the regional conflict. By channelling €30 million through IFAP before the end of the year, the measure aims to preserve the viability of primary production in mainland Portugal and help the sector weather a period of heightened uncertainty.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, C/2026/4855, 16 September 2026, C series (official reference: C/2026/4855, aid number SA.124487).