Proposal for the revision of the EU Fisheries State Aid Guidelines

The proposal outlines a framework for EU State aid in the fishery and aquaculture sectors, aligning financial support with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the European Green Deal, and the Paris Agreement. It establishes strict criteria for compatibility, including the 'do no harm' principle, the prohibition of capacity-enhancing subsidies, and the requirement for beneficiaries to comply with EU environmental law. The guidelines detail specific types of compatible aid, such as those for natural disasters, adverse climatic events, and animal disease control, while mandating transparency and ex post evaluations for large aid schemes.

• The guidelines mandate that State aid must align with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the Paris Agreement, and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically Goal 14 regarding the conservation of marine resources.
• In accordance with the European Green Deal, the proposal prohibits State aid for fossil fuels and capacity-enhancing subsidies, such as the construction of new fishing vessels or engine replacements that increase catching capacity.
• The proposal prohibits aid for fishing gear that is most harmful to biodiversity, specifically bottom-contacting gear, and explicitly forbids aid for electric pulse fishing.
• To prevent 'greenwashing,' beneficiaries of aid for sustainable seafood must substantiate their sustainability claims with updated science and use honest, specific, and non-confusing labels.
• Aid to compensate for natural disasters and exceptional occurrences is compatible if there is a direct causal link to the damage and the aid is limited to 100% of eligible costs, including material damage and loss of income.
• Aid for adverse climatic events is permitted if the damage exceeds 30% of the average annual turnover over the preceding three years.
• Aid for the prevention, control, and eradication of animal diseases in aquaculture is compatible if the diseases are listed by the World Organization for Animal Health and the aid is part of a formal programme or emergency measure.
• Operating aid in outermost regions may be considered compatible on a case-by-case basis to alleviate constraints of isolation and remoteness, but it cannot finance the construction of new fishing vessels.
• The proposal requires high levels of transparency, including the publication of individual aid awards on comprehensive State aid websites in non-proprietary formats like CSV or XML.

APA

Druel, E., & Ziegler, C. (2021). Proposal for the revision of the EU Fisheries State Aid Guidelines. ClientEarth. https://www.clientearth.org/media/aahldabk/proposal-for-the-revision-of-the-eu-fisheries-state-aid-guidelines.pdf

Chicago

Druel, Elisabeth, and Clemens Ziegler. Proposal for the revision of the EU Fisheries State Aid Guidelines. ClientEarth, 2021. https://www.clientearth.org/media/aahldabk/proposal-for-the-revision-of-the-eu-fisheries-state-aid-guidelines.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Druel |first1=Elisabeth |last2=Ziegler |first2=Clemens |title=Proposal for the revision of the EU Fisheries State Aid Guidelines |publisher=ClientEarth |date=September 2021 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/aahldabk/proposal-for-the-revision-of-the-eu-fisheries-state-aid-guidelines.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{druel2021proposal, author = {Druel, Elisabeth and Ziegler, Clemens}, title = {{Proposal for the revision of the EU Fisheries State Aid Guidelines}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/aahldabk/proposal-for-the-revision-of-the-eu-fisheries-state-aid-guidelines.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }