Brussels, 2 August 2022 (TDI): The European Commission, on the behalf of the European Union has approved a €600,000 scheme to support the Flemish fishery sector in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Among the various economic consequences of the war in Ukraine, the increase in energy has exacerbated the challenges faced by the Flemish fishing industry. To that end, the Flemish Government decided to grant a total of €600,000 in aid to affected businesses.
However, the Flemish scheme had to be first approved by the European Commission.
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Approval by the European Commission
On Monday, the Commission, on the behalf of the European Union, announced that it had approved the measure to cover part of the additional costs to the eligible beneficiaries due to the various price hike.
Under the scheme, the aid will take the form of direct grants.
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Temporary Crisis Framework
The Temporary Crisis Framework enables EU Member States to provide aid under EU State aid rules. This aid is to be provided only in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Moreover, it allows countries to grant a limited amount of aid to countries or companies affected by the Ukrainian crisis.
The Temporary Crisis Framework was adopted by the Commission on 23 March 2022 and amended on 20 July 2022.
The Commission highlighted that the Flemish scheme meets the standards outlined in the Temporary Crisis Framework. These conditions included that the aid will not exceed €75,000 per beneficiary. Moreover, it outlines that the aid will not be granted after 31 December 2022.
Moreover, the Commission also concluded that the aid is in line with Article 107(3)(b) Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
Lastly, the Commission concluded that the scheme is necessary and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the fishing sector of a Member State.
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