(Finance) – Following discussions with the European Commission, according to government sources, one of the next meetings of the Council of Ministers will examine and approve the provision for the reorganisation of state concessions for tourist-recreational use, in order to establish a clear legal framework for operators and local administrations.
“As regards beach concessions, the news is that a solution is coming: according to rumours, the government is working on a proposal to definitively resolve this complex issue, trying to balance the needs of existing concessionaires with European regulations. Important, therefore, – comments Confesercenti – that a decision is finally made after twenty years of back and forth; less reassuring that the decision is not yet known. It remains to be seen what intervention the government intends to implement to ensure a fair and sustainable solution for all parties involved”.
“An indecent ballet! The Government, instead of taking note of the rulings of the Council of State and of what the Antitrust Authority claims, which for months has been challenging the municipal resolutions that granted the extension of the maritime state concessions at the TAR, continues to want to climb up the mirrors, looking for a possible loophole with the European Commission. In short, an indecent spectacle” he states Massimiliano Dona, president of the National Consumers Union.
The President of Confartigianato, Marco Granelli, sent a letter to the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in which he expressed his appreciation for the Government’s commitment to dialogue with European institutions on the issue of beach concessions. Commitment – he writes Grains – aimed at defending the Italian specificity characterized by a lively entrepreneurial fabric rooted in the territories. Granelli – as stated in a note – “reiterates his trust in the Executive’s action and confirms his willingness to favor dialogue and proposals over expressions of protest that do not contribute to the resolution of business problems and penalize users”. Granelli highlighted to the Prime Minister “the profound disorientation that currently affects the category of seaside entrepreneurs, caused by the repeated and often conflicting rulings of national and European jurisdictional bodies, in addition to the heterogeneous initiatives undertaken by coastal municipalities”.
In a context of growing uncertainty regarding the regulation of maritime state concessions and their future assignment, Granelli, also on behalf of the president of Confartigianato Imprese Demaniali Mauro Vanni, declares the “willingness to keep open a constructive dialogue with the Government. The objective is to understand the orientations of the Executive and work together to provide timely and clear answers to the over 30 thousand companies in the sector, thus ensuring stability and protection to a sector that represents a fundamental part of the Italian economy”.
“We have involved – underlines the President of Confartigianato Imprese Demaniali Mauro Vanni – also the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces which has made itself available for a discussion to identify univocal criteria through which to make the renewal of beach concessions possible”.
“Absolute chaos reigns in Italy when it comes to beach resorts, between threats from the EU, court rulings and a government that is sailing by sight” states the Codacons, which calls on the executive to resolve the current stalemate as soon as possible.
“It is urgently necessary to find a meeting point between the government and the demands of the beach operators, in compliance with the community provisions on the matter and the recent sentences of the Council of State which rejected the extensions of the concessions – states the President Carlo Rienzi –. An absurd and paradoxical situation in Italy where, despite the evident illegitimacy of the concessions, the establishments have increased by 26% since 2011, generating a business of 10 billion euros per year, compared to just 115 million euros collected through fees by the State. The government can no longer postpone the problem to the Greek calends, and must sit down at the table with the beach operators and with all the parties involved to arrive at a shared solution as soon as possible”.
“There is still no legislative provision that gives certainty to public and private operators on the beach issue. We are therefore forced to confirm the mobilization of the category with the closure of umbrellas for two hours scheduled for Friday 9 August. We note, however, that ‘Government sources’ have announced it in one of the next Councils of Ministers – they state in a joint note Antonio Capacchione, president of the Italian Beach Resort Union adhering to FIPE/Confcommercio And Maurizio Rustignoli, President of FIBA/Confesercenti –. It is a signal that we do not intend to underestimate, therefore in the next few days the governing bodies will meet again to evaluate the situation that, for years, has kept 30 thousand companies and 100 thousand direct employees in suspense – concludes the note – and possibly confirm or suspend the other subsequent events scheduled for 19 and 29 August”.