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EFTA Surveillance Authority

07/08/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/08/2026 06:55

ESA renews production grant scheme for news and news-related media services in Iceland

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) has today approved the renewal of an Icelandic production grant scheme for private news and current affairs media in Iceland for the 2026-2031 period.

The scheme aims to strengthen the editorial capacity of private media outlets in Iceland to support news services and democratic debate, and to strengthen the position of the Icelandic language. This is a response to challenging operating conditions in the country's small market, as well as changing consumer behaviour, and increased competition from global digital platforms.

The renewed scheme consists of two types of support:

  • general subsidies covering part of the operational costs of producing news and current affairs content, and;
  • supplementary subsidies for providers offering continuous nationwide news services.

Eligible costs include salaries for editorial staff and payment to contractors creating news and news-related content. This includes journalism, photography, editing, layout and proofreading, as well as activities such as cinematography, broadcast production, video and audio editing, graphic design and web development.

The scheme will run until 1 January 2031. The annual budget for the general subsidies is set at ISK 500 million in 2026 and ISK 800 million from 2027 onwards. The supplementary subsidies have an annual budget of ISK 100 million in 2026 and ISK 300 million from 2027 onwards.

ESA has assessed the proposed measure and found it compatible with EEA State aid rules, and has raised no objections to its implementation.

State aid

ESA monitors State aid granted by the EEA EFTA States to allow fair competition and an open Internal Market in the EEA. The EEA EFTA States are obliged to notify any planned State aid measure to ESA. As a rule, the EEA Agreement prohibits State aid that could negatively affect trade, but exceptions are made for purposes such as environmental protection, regional support, research, innovation, and development.

Read ESA's decision here .

For further information, please contact:

EFTA Surveillance Authority published this content on July 08, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 08, 2026 at 12:55 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]