In the case of the expired beach concessions, Codacons has presented a request to the port authorities of Augusta, Gela, Mazara Del Vallo, Messina, Milazzo, Porto Empedocle, Pozzallo, Siracusa, Trapani, asking them to intervene to ensure compliance with the sentence of the Council of State and allow citizens free use of the beaches located in the relevant territory.
“In 2006, the Bolkestein directive imposed on Member States, in the name of market competition, the liberalization of the sector, with the obligation, therefore, to put beach concessions up for tender and to eliminate the system of automatic renewal of existing concessions – Codacons writes in the request – despite what has been established by the European Union, Italy, over the years, has repeatedly authorized the extensions of concessions by the Municipalities, so much so as to push the European Union to open an infringement procedure . In this context, the Council of State recently intervened, with ruling no. 3940/2024 established that the extension of beach concessions to 31 December 2024 cannot be considered legitimate. Essentially, the Council of State stated that local administrations are obliged to disapply any extension that goes beyond 31 December 2023, precisely because of the limits established by European law”.
