The European Commission has revised its state aid guidelines for the fishing and aquaculture sectors in a move it says will help member states meet EU green targets.
The new guidance sets out the conditions under which state aid can be given whilst maintaining the principles of the single market and reflects EU priorities, in particular the Common Fisheries Policy, and the European Green Deal.
The Commission says the new rules will help member states meet ambitious green targets by improving energy efficiency and mitigating the effect of climate change, without undue distortions of competition in the single market.
The new rules introduce the following main changes:
- A broader scope of measures targeting animal diseases in aquaculture, allowing for aid to be granted for emerging animal diseases and certain invasive alien species.
- New categories of aid, such as aid for fleet and cessation measures.
- Aid for investments in equipment that contributes to safety of fishing vessels in the EU’s outermost regions.
- Capacity enhancing measures are unlikely to be approved.
The new Fisheries Guidelines were endorsed by the Commission in December 2022 and will come into effect on 1 April 2023.
