European Commission announces changes to de minimis aid for fisheries and aquaculture

The Anfaco association welcomes the fact that the marine industry can receive the same “de minimis” aid as other industries. The regulatory revision maintains the processing in the specific regulation for fisheries and aquaculture, but equates the amount to that which companies can receive in the general framework.

The European Commission recently announced significant changes to de minimis aid in fisheries and aquaculture. De minimis aid is aid that can be granted by the governments of the EU-27 to companies without having to notify the European Commission, as it is considered to have no impact on competition and trade. Until now, the ceiling for primary production of fisheries and aquaculture, as well as for firms processing and marketing these products, was 30,000 euros over a three-year period.

The European Commission has recently modified this rule, raising the amount for fishing and aquaculture to 40,000 euros and 200,000 euros for marine industries, thus bringing them into line with the general ones. This regulatory amendment was preceded by a process of “reflection” that included public, State and stakeholder consultations.

The de minimis aid for primary production in fisheries and aquaculture has been updated “based on more recent data” on these sectors. In principle, they will be maintained until the end of 2029. Aid for the processing and marketing industries is included in the general de minimis regime due to its similarities with other sectors.

As of October 25, companies in the mar industry chain will be able to receive up to 200,000 euros in three fiscal years, instead of the 30,000 euros to which they were previously entitled. This is why Anfaco, the canning industry association, expressed its satisfaction after the latest modification, as it was one of the issues that the association raised when the Community Executive carried out public consultations and talks with stakeholders and national authorities in order to promote this transformation.

Roberto Alonso, secretary general of Anfaco, said that “this news gives us great satisfaction, because we begin to resolve the historical discrimination against the processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products in Community legislation, and that slows down the public-private partnership in its support to the sea-industry complex. We must remember that previously we managed to defend the possibility that processing SMEs could receive subsidies under the current FEMPA program, 2021-2027, when the European Commission in its initial draft rejected it. Therefore, we work so that this is a new step of ANFACO-CECOPESCA’s program of actions in legislative matters, whose next objective is to also resolve the discrimination of Regulation (EU) 651/2014 that stopped the granting of aid for investments and by which now the ministry must notify the European Commission a PERTE MAR-INDUSTRIA”. Anfaco believes that this modification represents a major step forward, at least until December 31, 2029, when this regulation will be reviewed.