“Fuel subsidies, besides being illegal, would do absolutely nothing to deal with the underlying problems,” he said. “On the contrary, they would serve only to perpetuate the problems of the sector and make the crash even greater when it comes.”
EU member states can currently give fishermen a subsidy of up to 30,000 euros (US$47,000) over a three-year period without seeking European Commission approval.
But French and Spanish fishermen consider this too low and have demanded additional help.
France announced 100 million euros in immediate aid last month.
On land, Bulgarian bus drivers held a one-hour stoppage, while truck drivers were into the fourth day of their protests, following similar demonstrations by English and Welsh truckers earlier last week.
In France, the National Truck Drivers’ Federation said there would be protests in five regions yesterday and tomorrow, while the National Taxi Drivers Federatoin, meeting in La Rochelle, warned of “new, widespread protests” if there was not a reduction in fuel taxes for their members.
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