The legislation on the enhancement of the sea resource, Law no. 70/2026, was published in the Official Gazette on May 9, 2026 and came into effect on May 10, 2026. The provision includes among other things, coordination policies for marine activities, pleasure navigation, sea navigation and shipbuilding, as well as clauses regarding fishing and the environment in Chapter VI.
In specific detail, Article 30 introduces a preferential pension scheme to promote re-embarkation in case of final halt of the vessel. This is aimed at maintaining the employment levels of workers in the maritime fishing sector, notwithstanding the preferential pension scheme envisioned for the fishing sector. Firms that employ people who have worked at sea on board vessels for which the final halt measures have been adopted through demolition under Article 20 of EU regulation 2021/1139 of the European Parliament and Council, dated July 7, 2021, are granted a 50% relief on social security and welfare expenses for 24 months under the relevant insurance scheme for each of these mariners.
This benefit is provided if disembarkation depends on the final cessation through demolition of the fishing vessel on which the fisherman worked for at least 90 days, even non-consecutive, in the 24 months preceding the acceptance of the support application. It is also provided on condition that the new embarkation takes place within three months from the cancellation of the demolished fishing unit from the relevant registers held by the maritime authority and that, during the same period, the embarkation does not replace personnel disembarked involuntarily or outside the cases of legal resolution under Article 343 of the navigation code. The benefits are granted under the EU Commission regulations no. 717/2014 of June 27, 2014, and in compliance with the rules on cumulation set out in the relevant European legislation on state aid.
Moreover, Article 31 of Law no. 70/2026 introduces provisions on social shock absorbers for the fishing sector. In order to fully implement the provisions of Article 8, fourth paragraph, of Law no. 457/1972, within 90 days from the date of entering into force of the law, through a specific ministerial decree, the reasons for wage integration intervention will be defined to benefit workers, as well as the methods and criteria for the provision of benefits.
