The majority meeting on the subject of beach concessions, at the center of controversy, is scheduled for tomorrow
In the Senate committee discussions begin on the Milleproroghe which will land in the Palazzo Madama hall on 3 February. Today Giorgia Meloni spoke on the issue of beach concessionsFI and Lega are pushing for an extension and Fdi awaits the outcome of the discussions that the Minister for EU Affairs, Raffaele Fitto, is carrying on with Europe.
But the Prime Minister clears the field of the hypothesis of the extensionfirstly because a decision to that effect would lead the Community institutions to stiffen their attitude towards Italy, as well as providing for the infringement procedure against Rome.
The premier speaks of one structural solution and announces a broad confrontation with the forces of the majority and with the trade associations.
The reactions
“It seems that Fdi wants to dismantle the Bolkestein directive, but in the meantime what to do? Will there be more time for the mapping of the beaches? Will there be more funds available?”, asks a member of Forza Italia. The blue party does not back down: “I read that the Balneari concessions are not formally incorporated in the milestones and objectives of the Pnrr”, observes the force supporter Maurizio Gasparri, reiterating “how feasible the path of an extension is to clarify the state of things”.
“I have not changed my mind on the issue of defending our seaside entrepreneurs from a directive that in my opinion should not be applied in that sector. We need to figure out which is the most effective solution“Meloni noted.
The goal remains to “secure” the companies in the sectorhence the intention of a dialogue with the dealers “before the amendments are voted” on the Milleproroghe.
In reality, the Brothers of Italy had presented an amendment to lower the date of the end of 2023 to link the launch of the tenders to the completion of the reform but it is a path that Brussels does not envisage, hence the about-face with the decision not to include the proposed modification among the reported.
The European Commission has announced that it is closely following the implementation of the commitments made by Italy to comply with EU laws on beach concessions.
EU law requires national rules to ensure equal treatment of service providers without any direct or indirect advantage for any specific operator. And again: it is necessary to promote innovation and fair competition, provide for a fair return on investments made and protection from the risk of monopolization of public resources.
Now the executive’s move is awaited for an act of address on the issue in order to avoid a clash within the majority.
The case in brief
Georgia’s party Meloni has decided not to include among the amendments of the Milleproroghe decree reported by their group in the Senate the one that aimed to eliminate the date of 31 December 2023 for the validity of the beach concessions, extending them without a certain end. This means that, if the deadline remains valid, it will be necessary to approve the reform of the concessions within the current year and subsequently put them out to tender. An unexpected change of pace, given that the majority seemed determined to postpone the deadline, effectively going into tug of war with the Council of State and the EU.
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