Government creates extraordinary fuel supports of 39.5 million euros

The Government has created an integrated regime of extraordinary and temporary financial supports, with a global limit of 39.5 million euros, intended to mitigate the increase in operating costs associated with fuels in eight sectors of activity. The measure is contained in Decree-Law no. 199/2026, of October 7, published in the Diário da República, 1st series, no. 194, and enters into force on the day following its publication.

The diploma was approved in the Council of Ministers on September 17, 2026, and promulgated on October 5 by the President of the Republic, António José Martins Seguro, having been countersigned by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro. The decree is signed by Luís Montenegro, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, Miguel Martinez de Castro Pinto Luz, and Maria da Graça Carvalho.

The new regime succeeds and integrates previous measures adopted throughout 2026, namely Decree-Law no. 110-A/2026, of June 3, Ordinance no. 279/2026/1, of June 29, Ordinance no. 395/2026/1, of August 28, and Decree-Law no. 80-A/2026, of March 31. The Government also invokes Communication C/2026/2593, of May 5, 2026, from the European Commission, which establishes a temporary framework for state aid in the context of the crisis in the Middle East.

Who is covered and how much they receive

Support for the road transport of goods for others and for emergency vehicle operators has a maximum allocation of 30 million euros. The amount per vehicle varies by gross weight, according to Annex I:

• Up to 3,500 kg: €118.20 (€114 for fuel and €4.20 for AdBlue);
• More than 3,500 kg and up to 7,500 kg: €280.80;
• More than 7,500 kg and less than 35,000 kg: €286.20;
• 35,000 kg or more: €457.80.

Public road passenger transport has 5 million euros available and allocates €420 per vehicle of categories M2 or M3. Taxi companies, social sector entities, and humanitarian firefighter associations share 3 million euros: the support is 10 cents per liter, corresponding to €360 per vehicle for “Class S (Super) Vehicles” of the firefighters and €120 in other cases, while social sector entities receive €600 each.

Cooperatives, machinery, and allocations

Agricultural cooperatives, producer organizations, and their respective associations have 500 thousand euros, with applications processed by the Agriculture and Fisheries Financing Institute (IFAP, I. P.). Industrial machinery used for earthmoving and the extractive industry, with an operational weight equal to or greater than 9 tons, have 500 thousand euros each, with reference amounts of €270 per machine between 9,000 kg and 35,000 kg and €420 from 35,000 kg onwards.

The global allocation is thus distributed:

• €30,000,000 for freight transport and emergency services;
• €5,000,000 for public road passenger transport;
• €3,000,000 for taxis, the social sector, and firefighters;
• €500,000 for agricultural cooperatives and producer organizations;
• €500,000 for earthmoving machinery;
• €500,000 for extractive industry machinery.

When eligible applications exceed the available allocation, the reference amounts shall be subject to proportional apportionment.

Applications, control, and consumer information

Applications are submitted electronically on the website of the Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT, I. P.), using a specific form, within 10 business days from the date the form is made available. In the case of agricultural cooperatives, the deadline is set by an announcement from IFAP, I. P. The decision and payment are the responsibility of IMT, I. P., via bank transfer and as a single payment, in order of submission.

The legislation prohibits the accumulation of other supports for the same costs when it results in overcompensation and provides for the restitution of amounts unduly received. The supports comply with European State aid rules and are granted, where applicable, under the de minimis regime of Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 of December 13, 2023.

The decree-law further requires marketers to display the mention “ISP+VAT Reduction” at filling stations, with information regarding the tax difference on petroleum and energy products. Non-compliance or the display of false information constitutes an administrative offense punishable by a fine of €1,000 to €3,000, a provision that takes effect 10 days after publication.

The impact is direct for thousands of transporters, taxis, firefighters, social sector institutions, agricultural cooperatives, and earthmoving and extraction companies, who now have a single application framework, with short deadlines and limited funds, within a context of energy market volatility.

Source: Diário da República, 1st series, no. 194, of October 7, 2026, section I (official reference: Decree-Law no. 199/2026).