Emergency funding to shield fisheries and aquaculture from Middle East crisis

The European Commission has activated the crisis mechanism of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), allowing Member States to provide financial compensation to fishers, aquaculture producers, processors and retailers whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the consequences of the conflict in the Middle East. The measure, which applies retroactively from 28 February 2026, reflects the severe impact that the region's hostilities are having on the EU's fishery and aquaculture sector.

This financial support is activated under this decision is drawn from each EU country's existing EMFAF allocation under their 2021-2027 national programme, with the EU co-financing a share of the eligible expenditure. Member States may decide to offer this support and are responsible for administering and providing the compensation to operators directly.

The emergency support measures introduced today were pre-allocated under the 2021-2027 EMFAF programme, leaving around €760 million of the initial €1.3 billion still immediately available.

The crisis also highlights the structural vulnerability of a sector dependent on fossil fuels. Accelerating the energy transition remains essential for the long-term competitiveness, resilience and profitability of the EU fishery and aquaculture sector.

Enabling compensation to protect the sector

Hostilities in the Middle East have driven up the price of energy and raw materials, significantly increasing operating costs and squeezing profit margins across the EU's fishery and aquaculture sector. Part of the Union's fishing fleet has already ceased operations due to reduced profitability. The aquaculture and processing sectors are similarly affected.

Under the activated mechanism, Member States may grant two types of crisis support:

• Financial compensation to operators in the fishery and aquaculture sector for income foregone and additional costs resulting from the current market disruption, including additional costs resulting from the increase in energy prices;
• Storage aid for fishery producer organisations that implement the storage mechanism under the common organisation of the markets. This mechanism allows producer organisations to temporarily store members' products to stabilise market prices.

The EMFAF crisis mechanism is a temporary measure. The support can be provided for expenditure incurred until the end of 2026.

Complementary economic support through State Aid

The EMFAF crisis support adopted today will shortly be complemented by additional support measures that Member States can offer in the form of State aid.

The Commission is consulting Member States to seek their views on a targeted and temporary framework to address the effects of the crisis on some of the most exposed sectors of the economy, including the primary production of fishery products such as landing, handling or initial processing of fish. The Commission aims to adopt the Temporary Framework by the end of April.

Background

The situation in the Middle East since 28 February 2026 has severely disrupted global energy and commodity markets. Attacks on energy infrastructure and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have caused a sudden and significant increase in global oil prices and disrupted trade flows between the Middle East region and the European Union. These disruptions are having a material and lasting impact on the EU fishery and aquaculture sector.

The Commission may activate the crisis support mechanism when an exceptional event causes a significant disruption of markets. Member States may then decide to provide compensation to operators in their country. A comparable activation was carried out in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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