The funds will cover the deduction of seafarers embarked on ships operating in cabotage

The European Commission has announced that it has “approved an Italian scheme of about 40 million euros to support cabotage and other maritime services”.

The note explains that the measure was “approved under the Temporary State aid framework. The measure will be open to shipping companies of all sizes active in the cabotage sector and other maritime services.

Under the scheme, the aid will consist of salary allowances in the form of exemption from the payment of social security and welfare contributions due for the period between 1 August 2020 and 31 December 2021 “

The reference, therefore, seems to be to article 88 of the August Decree, which extended the contribution relief provided for by article 6 of the International Register also to cabotage operators (i.e. with vessels registered in the first register), starting from 1 August 2020 and up to as of December 31, 2021, even if that forecast obtained the approval of Brussels already a month ago, as the Commission itself recalls today:

“The scheme approved today covers the granting of aid in the form of salary allowances, thus allowing the total amount of aid per beneficiary to exceed the ceiling established in the temporary framework for a limited amount of aid, provided that the beneficiaries fulfill the relevant conditions ”.

The new provision, it would seem to understand, will allow each company to obtain for article 88 even more than the 2.3 million euros provided for as a ceiling.

Source: Shipping Italy