The European Commission has approved a €74 million Spanish State aid scheme to support maritime transport companies facing higher fuel costs linked to the Middle East crisis.
The support is available to companies running regular passenger, roll-on/roll-off and freight services on routes connecting mainland Spain with Ceuta and Melilla, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, as well as certain inter-island routes, the Commission announced on Monday.
Aid will be paid as direct grants and will be calculated using actual fuel consumption based on a fixed coefficient linked to a vessel’s gross tonnage and the nautical miles sailed on eligible routes.
The scheme will cover additional marine fuel costs incurred between 21 March and 21 September 2026, and payments will be capped at 70% of those extra costs.
Approved under temporary crisis rules
The Commission said it cleared the measure under the EU’s Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework — known as METSAF — adopted on 29 April 2026.
The decision will be published in the Commission’s State aid register under case number SA.122731 once confidentiality checks have been completed.
