Processing of fisheries and aquaculture products (PALYTH)

The public expenditure for the Action amounts to € 26,000,000.

The subsidized budget of each investment proposal can range from €200,000 to €6,000,000. Any investment proposal/Operation with a budget lower than this amount will be rejected or dismissed.

Operations with a budget of under €200,000 related to the processing of fisheries and aquaculture products may be implemented through Community-Led Local Development fisheries strategies (CLLD).

In cases where the investment proposal/Operation has a budget exceeding €6,000,000, the amount beyond the Public Funding for covering the subsidised budget will be considered as a private participation for the implementation of the Operation. The entire proposal as well as the total excess cost are subject to evaluation and monitoring - control, even though the excess expenses are not subsidised.

The aid is provided to Beneficiaries who: 

• implement their investment plan in owned or leased processing facilities. 
• have in their name and in their possession the approvals and licenses provided for by the applicable institutional provisions for the establishment and operation of the facilities. Financial aids will not be provided for investment plans where the implementation site is in facilities whose licences have not been issued in the name of the investment implementation owner, but in the name of another entity which is also responsible for complying with the licence conditions.
• meet the conditions for recognition and the operating rules of Regulation (EU) 1379/2013 (CMO) and hold the approvals and decisions of the competent authorities provided for by the applicable Union and national provisions, in the case of producer organisations, associations of producer organisations or inter-sector organisations, 
• their solvency and financial viability can be evidenced, 
• demonstrate the ability to cover their entire participation in the investment (own participation),
• have not submitted an application for funding from a National or Union Program, for all or part of the proposed Operation, 
• comply with the conditions stated in paragraph 1, points a) to c) and paragraph 3, of Article 11 "Admissibility of applications", of Regulation (EU)2021/1139 and accompany their applications with the signed declaration of the applicant entrepreneur, in accordance with paragraph 6 of the same Article.

Operations are eligible for financing by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) provided that: 

• They have not been included in or funded by any other Union or national program. 
• The financial viability of the production investment is ensured, based on the submitted solvency certificates of the body and on supporting documents substantiating private participation in the investment plan (subject to the aid rates according to State aid rules). For investment plans exceeding €500,000, in order to ensure the financial viability of the production investment, the business plan certifying the future viability of the investment is also taken into account and is assessed in terms of its realistic effect.
• The investment proposal is compatible with and falls within the objectives of the Multi-annual National Strategic Plan for the Development of Aquaculture (MNSPA). 
• Their physical object has not been completed or fully implemented prior to submission by the Beneficiary of the funding application to the Managing Authority of the Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Sea Program (EYD PALYTH), irrespective of whether all related payments have been made by the Beneficiary. The maximum implementation rate of the physical object of the Operation, as evidenced by issued invoices and other supporting expenditure documents, prior to submission of the application for funding, in order to be eligible, is 80%. This threshold will be applied to the budget proposed by the Beneficiary, to the eligible budget for funding (original or following amendment of the investment plan), as well as to the final eligible budget for payment, until completion of the Operation. In case this threshold is exceeded during evaluation, amendment, or payment phases of the Operation, the eligible expenses will be cut accordingly. 
• They do not concern the processing of genetically modified products. 
• The application for inclusion has not been submitted by the Beneficiary more than once under the same Call. 
• Respect for Fundamental Rights and compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is ensured.

The overall participation conditions of beneficiaries are presented in detail in the Action guide.

The main expenses covered by the Program relate to:

• Purchase of non-developed and/or developed land 
• Buildings, facilities and surrounding area
• Interventions for the improvement, upgrading, and landscaping of the surrounding area
• Works with or without materials on buildings and other facilities 
• Special area configurations 
• Construction, modification or expansion of building facilities
• Building interventions for environmental protection Energy and Water-saving and waste treatment purposes
• Other business equipment
• Equipment for environmental protection and Energy-saving
• Transportation, installation and putting into service of new modern machinery and other equipment
• Other business equipment (research, laboratory, quality control, etc.)
• Facility security systems, fire protection systems
• Means of Transport
• Studies / market research 
• Procurement of production automation systems
• Machinery, their components, scientific instruments and tools used exclusively and on a permanent basis for the purposes of research activities
• Production and mechanical equipment

The eligible costs are detailed in the Call File.

The percentages of Public Expenditure and Private Participation of the Operations that will be included for financing range from 50% to 85%, depending on the specific case and based on factors such as the size of the business, the type of investment, and the location where the investment is carried out, as defined in the program’s Call for Proposals.