Greek beaches are going to look a little different this summer, if new regulations proposed by the Greek government go through. They’re aimed at making beaches more accessible to the public, and safer. They also make it harder for hotels to pretend that what are in fact public beaches are their own private beaches by covering them in sunbeds. Some hotels pack them so tight that even their own guests can’t find space to just lie on a towel if they prefer not to pay for a sunbed.
The way this works is that hotels sell concessions to ‘their’ beaches to individuals and companies, allowing them to put sunbeds on the beaches and charge a fee for their use. Naturally, the owners of the concession try to squeeze as many sunbeds into the space as possible. Well, not any more.
From now on, 70% of the space on any beach must be free of sunbeds. In certain protected areas, that increases to 85%. In ecologically sensitive areas, sunbeds will be banned completely. In addition, no sunbeds can be placed closer than four meters to the shoreline, making it easier for people to get access to the water. In some places drones will be used to watch for infringements.
The government is introducing e-auctions to decide who is allowed to put sunbeds on which stretches of beach. Those granted the rights will have to abide by the 70% or 85% rule, and will also have to provide a lifeguard, to keep the beaches clean and sanitary, and to provide access for people with disabilities.
However, the new laws are being challenged, partly by environmental organisations which claim they don’t go far enough. The four-meters-from-the-shoreline, for instance, is a reduction of previous regulations which prevented constructions from being made within thirty meters of the shoreline. The new regulations will ban sunbeds, but not constructions.
Countries including France and Spain are in the process of protecting their own coastlines by establishing ‘no-go’ areas of anything from 100 to 250 meters. The European Union has accepted proposals to establish a minimum of 100 meters from the shoreline as being protected, but Greece has not accepted these proposals.
The bill also removes an existing ban on concessions on what are called small coastal areas. This covers beaches of less than five meters in length or width, or 150 square meters in total area. We’re not sure how profitable a concession would be if you could only put sunbeds on 30% of such a beach, or 45 square meters, but opponents of the bill would prefer the existing total ban to stay in place.
So, although on the face of it the new bill is a good thing for beach users, it also has its problems and is sure to be challenged.
Till next week, then. If you know someone who would enjoy this newsletter all about Greece, click on the ‘Share’ button below.
Mike and Donna