The European Commission has sent a letter to the government -themed Meloni government. It is not the first time that it happens, given that for five years the Italian state has been under infringement for the failure to transpose the Bolkestein directive for the management of the beaches. Now, the Commission would like to find a “constructive solution” to the controversy on bathing concessions in our country, with which a “dialogue” is underway. This was confirmed by the spokesman for the EU executive Thomas Regnier in Brussels.
What does the European Commission for the Meloni government disputes
The “dialogue with the Italian authorities”, assures Regnier, “continues, of course, to ensure that a constructive solution can be achieved regarding the bathing concessions in Italy”. In this context, “I can confirm that, as part of our dialogue with the Italian government, a letter was sent to Italy on 7 July, precisely in this direction, to find a constructive solution with our Italian friends”.
The infringement procedure, for non -compliance with the Bolkestein Directive, has been started five years ago: the seaside concessions, for EU law, must be competed since 2007 -, according to transparent and competitive procedures to ensure better services to citizens and a correct management of the beaches that are part of the state property and which are therefore to be considered public goods.
Also according to Italian jurisprudence there are problems: seaside concessions have expired. However, the Meloni government has still taken time by promising to compete the beaches by 2027
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The content of the letter was not disclosed, but according to what reported by Il Giornale, the criticisms made by the EU executive would concern the compensation to be paid to the outgoing dealers. Already in August 2024 the Commission had invited the government to review the rules on compensation. Summary: there are no life annuities on public goods.
At what point is the infringement procedure for Bolkestein
In another letter sent by the EU Commission at the end of 2023 the mapping that the government had made – the Mit of Matteo Salvini had dealt -, in which, between the counting of the free beaches, cliffs, ports and natural areas were included with the final result of making the coasts appear less occupied than they were actually.
In the response, the Meloni government had ensured a reorganization of the legislation on the beaches, but the times are still long.
“The bathing establishments are illegal, everyone can go to the beach without paying”
The letter sent by the European Commission is the second passage of the infringement procedure, with which Member States are invited to conform within a certain date to the community rules. There are no automatisms: if the response of the government in question is not satisfactory, the Commission can decide to refer the Member State to the Court of Justice of the European Union asking for the payment of a fine.
At the moment, according to the data of the Department for European Affairs, the infringement procedures against Italy are 64, in the face of fines cost over a billion euros.
