The European Commission has approved a 170m euro state aid plan to help Bulgarian farmers. The money will go to farming businesses hit by high fertilizer and fuel costs due to the crisis in the Middle East, the EU said in Brussels.

Bulgaria told the Commission about the plan. The scheme will run until 31 December 2026 and aims to help with the high cost of basic farming resources.

The aid will be given as direct grants. Each business in the sector can get up to 50,000 euros, but the amount will depend on how much their fuel and fertilizer costs actually went up.

The European Commission checked the plan against EU state aid rules. These rules let EU members support certain parts of the economy under specific conditions.