The European Commission has approved an €8 million Croatian state aid scheme to support fishing companies facing higher fuel prices linked to the Middle East crisis.
The scheme covers companies involved in the primary production of fishery products in Croatia, the Commission informed on Monday.
Support will be paid as direct grants and can cover up to 70% of additional fuel costs, depending on the type of fishing vessel.
Aid can also be capped at €50,000 per company under the measure.
The scheme applies to additional fuel costs incurred between 1 March and 31 December 2026 and will run until 31 December 2026.
Approved under a temporary EU framework
Croatia 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, according to the EU executive.
METSAF is a temporary set of EU rules allowing member states to give certain types of state support to sectors considered exposed to the effects of the crisis, including agriculture, fishery, transport and energy-intensive industries.
The framework is due to remain in place until 31 December 2026.
