The European Commission has approved a €500 million Spanish state aid scheme to support agricultural companies facing higher fertiliser prices linked to the Middle East crisis.
The measure will support companies involved in the primary production of agricultural products and will run until 31 December 2026, the Commission informed on Thursday.
Aid will be paid as direct grants, with eligible companies able to receive €22 per hectare for dryland and €55 per hectare for irrigated land, up to a maximum of 300 hectares per beneficiary.
The Commission said the scheme can cover up to 70% of the additional fertiliser costs resulting from the Middle East crisis.
Approved under temporary EU crisis framework
Spain notified the scheme to the Commission under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework, known as METSAF, which was adopted on 29 April 2026.
METSAF allows EU member states to provide temporary support to some of the sectors the Commission identifies as most exposed to the crisis — including agriculture, fishery, transport and energy-intensive industries — and is due to remain in place until 31 December 2026.
The Spanish scheme was approved under EU state aid rules, including Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which sets out conditions under which governments can support certain economic activities.
