On the Italian coast, deckchairs and parasols stretch as far as the eye can see. Every year, private beaches are gaining ground. In Naples (Italy), 90% of the coast is now privatized. “An immense sea, but not accessible to Neapolitans”, laments a resident. There are now only 200 meters of free beach left.
These few tens of meters of public beach are overcrowded, dirty and hardly cleaned. Residents sometimes have no choice. “For a deckchair, you can’t get away with less than 20 euros. With these prices, the private beach is impossible”comments a woman.
The beaches in Europe’s sights
In Italy, beaches generate more than 2 billion euros per year. A business separated by 8,000 families, whose concessions were sometimes awarded more than 30 years ago, without clear rules or limits. Eduardo Mascara, who owns a bathing establishment, pays 3.70 euros per m2 per year to operate the beach. To those who accuse him of taking advantage of the system, he claims to have “many other expenses“.
These private beaches are in the sights of the European Union. Everything was to be overhauled on January 1, 2024, but the current Italian government has decided to postpone the project.