ROME — The newest chapter in a relatively limitless legend over the management of Italy’s profitable beach concessions has set Italian beaches on fire this summerseason.
For practically 2 years, the European Commission hasactually been locked in a legal tug-of-war with Italy over its beach concession practices, implicating the peninsular country of doingnothave openness and breaching competitors guidelines.
Italian federalgovernments, from left to best, have staunchly withstood EU instructions needing competitive tendering, constantly restoring the existing beach concessions without open treatments.
After the mostcurrent extension authorized by the reactionary federalgovernment of Giorgia Meloni upuntil the end of the year, Rome has now run out of alternatives and will be required to comply with EU guidelines from early 2025.
“We are in a stage of overall unpredictability and we desire our rights to be maintained,” stated Susanna Barbadoro, who represents the 3rd generation of owners of a beach concession in Ostia, a popular seaside location near Rome.
Beach concessions haveactually been passed down from one generation of a household to the next for years, producing what critics thinkabout to be a sort of monopoly and a sign of Italy’s resistance to financial reforms.
Costs for beach-goers differ along the Italian coasts: They can go from 25 euros to lease 2 chaise lounges and an umbrella for the day in the most standard facilities, to anumberof hundred euros in fancy resorts such as Capri or Puglia’s Salento.
The beach operators grumble that they haveactually made big financialinvestments into making their facilities comfy for th