France, confronted by the protest movements of its fishermen, appears to have found some allies in its request for a relaxation of the restrictions imposed by the EU on the payment of public aid to this sector afflicted by the strong rise in the price of diesel. On 26 and 27 May, in the margins of an informal meeting of fisheries ministers in Slovenia, Germany and Italy joined Paris's request for an increase in the threshold of 'de minimis' aid, ie the ceiling below which aid cannot be notified to the European Commission, since it is not considered to be state aid hindering competition. "If it has been noted that the price of diesel is jeopardising the very existence of European fishing, shouldn't we raise the question of the ceiling of this aid? This is the question I am asking," French Fisheries Minister Michel Barnier told journalists, on 26 May.
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