The Italian government approved a plan Wednesday to hold tenders for 28,000 concessions to operate on Italian beaches. The move comes amid a long-standing dispute with the European Commission, but Italy's current concession system also has its opponents. An Italian politician recently said that paid beaches “reach almost 10 billion euros a year, and only 115 million goes to the state coffers because of the incredibly low concession fees.”
Under regulations approved on Wednesday, existing concessions to operate bars and beach clubs on the Italian coast will remain valid until September 2027, according to a statement from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office. Their validity could be extended to March 2028 if there are “objective reasons” to delay the tender process, according to a draft regulation seen by Reuters.
The new regulations mean that tenders will be organised for 28,000 concessions for running bars and beach clubs. This is a response to the infringement procedure launched by the European Commission against Italian for not yet announcing tenders for such concessions, as provided for in one of the EU directives. “The Independent” recalled on Thursday that the EC has been in a legal dispute with Italy over the practice of granting concessions for activities on beaches for almost 20 years. European Commission At the time, she accused Rome of “lack of transparency and breaking competition rules,” the British daily reported. “The famous Italian beaches will be changed forever thanks to the new regulations,” the newspaper said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia MeloniSTR/PAP/EPA
Paid beaches in Italy
In many parts of Italy, free beaches are rare. The coast is dominated by paid beaches with facilities available for a fee. Renting a parasol and sun loungers for a family costs at least 20-30 euros (approx. 85-130 PLN) per day.
According to Reuters, the companies that rent out beach umbrellas and run catering operations along Italy's 7,500-km coastline are traditionally small, family-run businesses, with concessions passed down from generation to generation. Businessmen who would like to set up shop on the beaches say they are “unfairly excluded,” while current concession holders argue that the family businesses “cut costs for beachgoers and prevent valuable beaches from falling into the hands of large chains that may not respect local traditions,” Reuters reports.
Porto Pino Beach in the South of SardiniaShutterstock
Tenants protest on Italian beaches
In protest at the impasse in talks with the government over concessions that expired last year, on August 9, some tenants did not open their umbrellas and set up sun loungers on the beaches between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. Several large associations have accused the Meloni government of not giving any guarantees for the future of the tenant sector on the thousands of beaches, who do not know whether their concessions will be extended or whether others will receive them.
“There are privileges in this country that no one wants to violate”
The protesters were criticized by a member of parliament and a spokesman Green Party Angelo Bonelli. “I appeal to the Italians: let us peacefully invade the beaches with our umbrellas and towels, because we have to say 'enough' with the privatization of a public good,” he declared last month. “There are privileges in this country that no one wants to violate,” he added. Bonelli stressed that the number of paid beaches in Italy has recently increased by 26 percent and now there are over 7,200. “They have a turnover of almost 10 billion euros a year, and only 115 million goes to the state coffers because of the incredibly low concession fees,” the MP said.
Consulting firm Nomisma reported in 2023 that companies renting umbrellas and running catering activities on Italian beaches generate income of around 2.1 billion euros per year. This is the equivalent of almost nine billion złoty.
Beach in ItalyTupungato / Shutterstock
Reuters, PAP, The Independent
Main image source: Shutterstock