With 100 votes in favour, 63 against and 2 abstentions, on 6 November the Senate gave the definitive green light to the “Save infringements” decreeThat extends the beach concessions until 30 September 2027. A move designed to respond to the 15 infringement procedures opened by the European Union against Italy, but which generated an avalanche of controversy. The measure, welcomed with relief by many dealers, it was instead harshly contested by oppositions, consumer protection associations and part of the seaside category itself.
For some time, Europe has criticized the management of Italian maritime concessions, judging it to be not very transparent and distant from the competition principles of the Bolkestein Directive. Already in 2023, the European Court of Justice had ruled that concessions cannot be automatically renewed, inviting Italy to guarantee open and competitive selection procedures. The approved decree, therefore, aims to resolve these controversies, but its effectiveness is questioned by many parties.
“A useless and harmful postponement”, thunders Federico Cavallo, head of External Relations at Altroconsumo. “With this decision, uncertainty is maintained and a development opportunity is given up, perpetuating a system that favors the usual suspects to the detriment of transparency and competitiveness”.
On Italian beaches and seaside concessions, the Government is putting its head in the sand. After having tried to avoid selective procedures and competitions in every way with the story of the “mapping” of Italian beaches, now the majority is forced to adapt to… pic.twitter.com/oWJ3dLJlOw
— Marco Lombardo (@mlombardo81) November 6, 2024
“Let’s not waste another two years making fun of the lifeguards and concessionaires, but let’s help them and the local administrations to prepare well for the competitions and avoid selling off to international investment funds (or worse to organized crime) the Italian beaches which represent a heritage priceless beauty and economic value which generates an income of 30 billion euros from seaside tourism every year“, said the Action Senator, Marco Lombardo.
In addition to the extension of the concessions until 2027, the decree provides that the new tenders will be concluded by 30 June of the same year. Subsequent concessions will have a duration of between 5 and 20 years and will force new dealers to take on the hiring of existing employees, as well as pay compensation to current owners for investments made over the last five years.
The most controversial news concerns the exclusion of sports clubs from the Bolkestein Directive, concession that allows them to operate without having to face public tenders. This choice has raised questions about equal treatment and possible distortions in the sector.
Protests and dissatisfaction
The approval of the decree triggered a chain reaction. On Twitter, some opposition politicians took things further: Tatjana Rojc (Pd) spoke of a “tsunami” that risks transforming the Italian coast into fertile ground for speculation, while Andrea Croatti (M5s) defined the decree as a “cowardly maneuver” which leaves the decision in the hands of the municipalities and does not protect small businesses.
Criticisms also focus on the possibility that future tenders favor large investors capable of bidding upwards on the expected compensation, effectively marginalizing small local businesses. “A road that could lead to the privatization of beaches and an increase in prices for consumers,” underlines Cavallo of Altroconsumo. The already high rates for renting sunbeds and umbrellas, which in some locations exceed 400 euros per week, risk rising even further in the absence of real competition.
The reactions of the seaside sector
On the other hand, the beach workers’ unions are not satisfied. In a note, they complained that the law “does not address the issue of resource scarcity, a prerequisite for a correct application of the Bolkestein Directive”, and expressed concern about the “insignificant value of the compensation” calculated over the last five years, a period marked by pandemic and economic uncertainty.
A missed opportunity?
The extension to 2027 appears to be yet another attempt to postpone a structural solution. And if the Meloni government appears confident that the changes can convince Europe to close the infringement procedure, the unknown remains as to how they will be applied in practice and what consequences they will bring in the long term.
Italian beaches, a symbol of tourism and tradition, are therefore at the center of a complex debate. Between broken promises and crossed accusations, the fate of the concessions remains a rough sea.
