Regulation of the Mar 2030 Programme for the fisheries sector in Madeira amended

The Regional Government has made the second amendment to the Specific Regulation of the Support Measures of the Mar 2030 Programme for the Autonomous Region of Madeira, through Ordinance No. 402/2026. The changes aim to adapt the rules to the current economic situation and constraints in the construction sector.

The decree amends Articles 3, 26, and 72 of the Sole Annex to Ordinance No. 559/2023 of July 25, which approves the regulation. The main changes are:

• Article 9 (Obligations of beneficiaries): Paragraph 1(b) has been repealed. The obligation to start the operation within 90 working days of the date specified in the approval decision remains, unless a justified reason accepted by the managing authority is provided. It was also clarified that for investments whose results are not immediate, the final report must be updated annually for up to two years after the operation's completion.
• Article 26 (Obligations of beneficiaries - Section I): The obligation for beneficiaries to prove, by the date of the last payment request, the existence of a hull marine insurance policy extendable to dry dock was specified. The minimum insurance value must correspond to the amount of public support received, except for local fishing vessels.
• Article 72 (Types of operations): Paragraph (j) was clarified and now explicitly covers investments to adapt fishing ports to host economic operators with blue economy activities, namely aquaculture (including offshore aquaculture), fish processing, or entrepreneurship promotion.

The ordinance establishes a transitional provision, determining that the amendments apply to operations approved before its entry into force, provided they are more favourable to the beneficiaries and compatible with their respective acceptance terms.

The decree was signed by the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries, António Eduardo de Freitas Jesus, and entered into force on August 19, 2026.