Support for economic sectors affected by the Middle East crisis

On April 29, 2026, the European Commission adopted the Middle East Crisis Interim State Aid Framework (METSAF), indicating the scope of initiatives to address the current crisis.

The aid framework will be in place until December 31, 2026, and the European Commission has said that until then it will keep the need and scope of support under review in the context of further developments in the Middle East and the overall economic situation.

General background

This year’s conflict in the Middle East, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has led to a significant increase in the price of both oil and gas. This translates into a higher cost of purchasing most products. Since the escalation of hostilities, the European Union has spent an additional 24 billion euros on energy imports.

The events taking place in the Middle East, according to a release from the European Commission, underscore the importance of the 2025 framework adopted. State Aid Framework under the Clean Industrial Agreement. In addition, in order to prevent the effects of the conflict, it has become necessary to support key sectors of the economy.

The European Commission’s AccelerateEU plan takes into account the Temporary State Aid Framework, or METSAF.

What is METSAF

On April 29, 2026, the European Commission adopted the Temporary Assistance Framework, or METSAF (that is, Communication C(2026) 2947 final). It expands the set of ways to provide assistance to member states to support the development of economic activity in the EU. It applies to the transport (road, rail), inland waterway and short sea shipping sectors within the EU, agriculture and fisheries.

The tool is intended to help create national support programs to compensate for soaring costs of fuel and electricity, among other things. The support programs, as announced by the European Commission, are to be approved as a matter of urgency.

Who METSAF will help

METSAF Key Information:

• Eligible sectors include fishing, agriculture, land transport (road, rail), inland waterways and intra-EU short sea shipping.
• Aviation has been excluded from METSAF.
• Member states can compensate for the additional costs caused by the crisis.
• Allows for an increase in the aid intensity of electricity price rebates approved under Section 4.5 of the Clean Industrial State Aid Framework (CISAF) from 50 percent to 70 percent of the cost of electricity in eligible consumption, without increasing decarbonization efforts.
• Duration: the temporary regulations will be in effect until December 31, 2026.

The European Commission encourages you to read the official METSAF guidelines. There are detailed information and legal documents on how EU countries can implement support programs.

AccelerateEU plan

AccelerateEU, a Communication from the European Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, is a toolkit designed to provide immediate assistance to European households and industries, especially the most vulnerable, while helping Europe move toward energy independence.

The plan includes five pillars:

1. Closer EU coordination;
2. Consumer and business protection;
3. more clean home energy;
4. Increasing the energy system;
5. increasing investment.

The plan outlines both short-term and long-term structural measures aimed at:

• Further reducing the EU’s dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets;
• Building Europe’s resilience to future threats based on indigenous clean energy and electrification.

Temporarily proposed: income support schemes, energy vouchers, social leasing programs, reducing excise taxes on electricity for economically disadvantaged households.

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In preparing the article, I used:

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/pl/ip_26_894

https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/state-aid/legislation/metsaf_en

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/PL/TXT/DOC/?uri=CELEX:52026DC0370

https://energy.ec.europa.eu/strategy/accelerateeu-strengthen-eu-energy-resilience_en?prefLang=pl