Il Sole 24 Ore previews the government’s plan for seaside resorts. Mapping to be redone, for all, extension of concessions until the end of 2025

The government is trying to patch up the mess of the beach concessions. According to what the newspaper anticipates Sun 24 Hours, work is underway on a plan to be submitted to the EU Commission. A plan is foreseen extension of concessions until the end of 2025Then, following a Mapping Review of the coaststo be adopted by decree of the President of the Council by 30 April 2025, in the regions in which the free beaches are less than 25% the concessions would be extended until 31 December 2027, in those where the share is higher than 25% the extension would extend until December 31, 2029. It is only at the expiration of these dates, the old concessions would be put up for competition.

According to the government’s line, the current concessions are to be considered valid until 31 December 2024, with the faculty of the Municipalities to postpone by one year in the presence of disputes or other objective reasons that prevent them from proceeding with the tenders. The draft currently being defined provides for a first dry extension, writes Il Sole 24 Ore, until 31 December 2025. In the meantime, however, the mapping would be reworked, as requested by Brusselsboth with the data disaggregated on a regional basis and with the qualitative datathus defining whether the beaches considered free are really accessible and whether they are attractive for potential new concessionaires. The extension of the concessions would be extended as of December 31, 2027 in regions where free beaches are less than 25%; and until 31 December 2029 in regions where the percentage of free surface is greater than 25%.

In the event that the Prime Ministerial Decree with the mapping does not see the light within the expected deadline, the Municipalities should still start the tenders by 31 August 2025 and, to allow the procedure to be completed, only the “technical” extension until December 31, 2025. As for pre-emption and compensation, according to the plan the current concession holders will be able to exercise a right of pre-emption: in the event of a lack of other offers, the concession would be extended by 7 years; in the event that there are more candidates, the Municipalities would have to start the tenders but the current concessionaires could exercise a second pre-emption, accepting the same conditions as the winning offer. In the event of loss of the concession following the tender, the old holders would have still entitled to compensation to be determined with a certified appraisal. In the meantime, we are considering a possible increase in the concession fees in the order of 10%.

There are approximately 7 thousand beach resorts in Italy and they pay often derisory fees, on average 5 thousand euros per year, against revenues of 180 thousand euros. According to the tax authorities, in two cases out of three the declarations presented they are not congruent.