In more than 10,000 citizen complaint audits concerning beaches and coastline throughout the country, the Real Estate Services of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance proceeded during the month of July. Only in the last week did they take place over 5,000 complaint checks across the state.

In total they checked over 1,100 businesses, while during the last week, extensive checks were carried out in cooperation with the Greek Police and the local municipalities in more than 290 businesses. The complaints that were examined came mainly through the MyCoast application but also through citizens’ phone calls to the local Real Estate Services.

The general picture from the mass checks of the last weeks is clearly more improved than in previous years as the majority of businesses operating on the beaches have complied with the new rules and the new legal framework.

However, the audits of the complaints also revealed several violations, which ranged from the absence of signs to excesses of the occupied space by additional umbrella seats, other constructions as well as cases where the occupation was arbitrary without a concession contract. All the prescribed administrative fines were imposed on all the companies found to have committed violations. The fines that have been imposed so far exceed a total of 1,150,000 euros, while the process of imposing the remaining fines and administrative measures in the audits carried out is also ongoing.

It is noted that the 7 regions of the country that collected the most complaints nationwide and were checked as a matter of priority are the following:

  • Chalcidice: 1,873 complaints were investigated, of which 234 were in the last week. Checks were carried out on 19 beaches and 148 businesses, of which 8 beaches and 53 businesses were conducted in just the last week. It is noted that for the first time in such a short period of time, all the busy beaches of Halkidiki have been checked by levels of the Land Service with the help of the police, and in some cases more than once, while the checks are going to continue. The remaining number of complaints concern new ones submitted after the autopsies and the vast majority of which are anonymous.
  • East Attica: 1,396 complaints were investigated of which 1,157 in the last week. During the checks on 20 beaches and 58 businesses in the area, 12 violations were found and a corresponding number of administrative measures were imposed.
  • I predicted: 873 complaints were investigated. The levels of auditors proceeded to checks on 6 beaches and 35 businesses where three violations were found.
  • Dodecanese: 754 complaints were investigated of which 591 in the last week. Drone flights were also carried out in the waters of Kallithea and Faliraki to capture the current situation. From the controls carried out at 14 beaches and 25 businesses, 7 violations were found.
  • Cyclades: The Cyclades collect a relatively low number of complaints this year. About 450 complaints have already been checked. Indicatively, in Paros, almost all complaints were checked with autopsies in collaboration with the Municipality of Paros where autopsies were performed on approximately 10 different beaches and 37 businesses where only one violation was found. The violation was detected at Kolymbithres beach where arbitrary occupation of the beach without a contract was found and the Real Estate Service issued the prescribed administrative measures (immediate removal within 48 hours), a fine of 51,000 euros and instructions to the municipality to seal the site. According to a police document, the offender immediately removed the umbrella seats and the occupied section was returned to the public. On the beach of Agia Anna Kalafati in Mykonos, following an autopsy by the Real Estate Service, a fine of approximately 190,000 euros was imposed on a business of the interests of the same businessman that the AADE also imposed the sealing of his premises a few days ago.
  • Corfu: 352 complaints were investigated of which 27 in the last week. From the checks on 4 beaches and 6 businesses, 5 administrative measures were imposed.
  • Chania: A total of 199 complaints were examined. From the checks on 7 beaches and 19 businesses, 8 violations were found, and administrative measures are being issued.

Record concession contracts this year

It is worth noting that this year the number of concession contracts for the use of coastal and beach sections broke records and far exceeded the initial goals set by the Real Estate Services. The new system of e-auctions that allows those entrepreneurs who meet the criteria and conditions to participate in them in terms of transparency and meritocracy contributed to this to a large extent.

Initial estimates were that up to 1,200 foreshore and beach concessions would be made this year. In the end, their number exceeded 1,800 (of which approximately 1,650 successful and 150 barren), as a result of which more parts of the coast and beach were used than in previous years, always within the framework of the legality defined by the new institutional frame.

The number of electronic auctions that were deemed unsuccessful (around 150) concern concessions for which either there was no interest or the successful bidder withdrew shortly before the signing of the contract. Such cases are observed over time, without however significantly affecting the tourist product of each region, as there may be other existing concessions on the same beaches. For example, on the Kalo Livadi beach of Mykonos where 2 sites were declared barren during the online auction, but there are 5 other existing concessions on the same beach. Also, on the Almyrida beach of Chania, 1 site was declared barren during the online auction, but there are 9 other existing concessions, which cover almost 40% of the beach. Also, in the Fyriplaka beach of Chania, 1 place was declared barren during the online auction, but there is already an existing concession, which covers 30% of the beach allowed for use.

Finally, regarding the direct contracts of neighboring businesses, the number recorded this year is the highest ever recorded as they exceed 2,300 rental offices. This is mainly due to the fact that businesses understood the new institutional framework and the determination of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance to bring order to a largely anarchic landscape and rushed to the local Real Estate Services in order to sign contracts even on parts of the seafront and beach that they had never requested their concession until today. In addition, some businesses requested the conclusion of additional concession contracts in order to be able to legally utilize more square meters. seaside and beach.

The checks are going to continue even more intensively in the next period, giving priority to those areas with the most complaints from citizens but also to those where there is an abundance of branded complaints.