The European Commission has approved a €285 million Italian state aid scheme for agricultural, fishing and aquaculture companies facing higher fuel and fertiliser costs linked to the Middle East crisis.
The support will be available until 31 December 2026 and is designed to offset increased prices for agricultural fuel and fertilisers, as well as fuel used in fishing and aquaculture, the Commission announced on Friday.
Aid will be delivered through direct grants and tax advantages.
For agriculture, payments will be calculated using estimated fuel and fertiliser consumption, while support for fishing and aquaculture will be based on estimated fuel use.
Approval under temporary crisis rules
The Commission said it cleared the scheme under EU state aid rules and the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework — a set of temporary rules adopted on 29 April 2026 to govern support linked to the crisis.
A non-confidential version of the decision will be published in the Commission’s state aid register under case number SA.123714 once confidentiality checks have been completed.
