Seven important changes to improve the protection of our beaches are established by the new law for the utilization of public property in the coastal areas voted by the Parliament. With the new law, rules are established to protect the environment, ensure citizens’ access to the beaches, upgrade the tourist product and protect the public interest, as noted in a statement by the Ministry of National Economy and Finance.

On the occasion of the passing of the bill, the Minister of National Economy and Financen Kostis Hatzidakis stated:

“This summer a lot will change on our beaches! With the new law, we are improving the protection of our beaches, putting stricter rules on their management and ensuring free access for citizens. At the same time, we are creating a more effective control mechanism by making use of new technologies (drones, satellites) to ensure that the new rules will be strictly enforced.

Last summer we gave writing samples and everyone understood that we are not kidding about protecting our beaches. This year we will be even more efficient!”

The 7 most important changes introduced by the new law are the following:

1. A transparent electronic procedure is established for the auction of beaches

Starting from 2024, all auctions for the concession of coastal and beach sections will be conducted by the Land Service and not by the Municipalities. The process will be done digitally through an electronic platform that guarantees transparency and excludes any interventions. The announcement will be posted on the platform and on the website of the relevant municipality at least twenty days before the date of the auction. The platform will post the data (coordinates, polygon and aerial photos) of each concession, the duration, the terms of the concession, and the time of placement and removal of mobile elements.

Concessionaires will pay a minimum price derived from a mathematical formula based on the objective values ​​of the area, activity weighting factor and the beach weighting factor depending on the specific characteristics of the beach.

The auctions that will be held this year, during the first application of the law, will be completed by May 15. From 2025 onwards the procedures will be completed by March 31.

2. “cheat beaches” are established

The highly protected beaches and beaches (“cheap beaches”) located in Natura areas and for which concessions and, by extension, the placement of umbrellas, sunbeds, etc., will be prohibited. of National Economy and Finance and Environment and Energy following a proposal by OFYPEKA and a proposal by the head of the General Directorate of Environmental Policy.

3. Stricter rules are established in the management of the beaches in order to ensure the free access of the citizens

Limits are set on the beaches that will be granted for exploitation in order to ensure the passage of citizens and that there are sufficient free spaces. Specifically, at least 50% of the beach must remain free and at the same time the area of ​​each concession cannot exceed 500 square meters. The umbrella seats can occupy up to 60% of the allocated area, or 30% for beaches located in Natura areas that have not been designated fraudulent. There must be a distance of at least 6 meters between concessions (3 meters on each side, or 4 meters in the case of businesses operating in adjacent buildings) and umbrella seats must be at least 4 meters from the sea.

It is also not allowed to grant seafront and beach when their length or width is less than 4 meters or when the total area of ​​the seafront is less than 150 square meters.

4. Strict obligations are introduced for those who lease beaches

Nine specific obligations are established in all cases, which are provided for by law but will also be included in the concession agreement. Specifically, the concessionaire:

a) Ensures the free, unhindered and safe passage of the public on the seafront and the beach.

b) Ensures the use of the seafront and the beach for people with disabilities on the seashores and beaches that will be foreseen by Ministerial Decision, by installing special platforms to serve them, as long as they have not been installed by the Municipality,

c) Limits the development of umbrellas, deckchairs and marine recreational equipment and other mobile elements in accordance with the limits set by the law (60% of the granted area or 30% if it is a protected beach and beach) and maintains a free zone from the coastline width at least four meters.

d) Keeps the allocated part of the seashore and beach clean daily.

e) Hangs in a visible place on the seashore or the beach a sign, which allows the public to have access, electronically, to the identification details of the concession, such as the coordinates, the number of the concession decision, the rights and obligations of the public and the concessionaire and the diagram of the concession.

f) Places mobile elements to serve the public.

g) It takes care of maintaining the balance of the ecosystem and the morphology of the coast

h) Delivers the granted space in its original state after the end of the concession term and removes the movable elements during the periods specified in the concession contract.

i) Ensures the presence of a lifeguard, as long as this obligation is not covered by the relevant municipality.

5. The role of citizens in protecting the beaches from abuses is guaranteed

A digital application is being created for mobile phones, tablets, etc. that will be available free of charge to citizens. Each concession will correspond to a QR-code that will be posted on the website of the State Real Estate Service, on the website of the relevant municipality and on the sign marking the seafront or the beach that is compulsorily placed at the point. Through the same application, citizens will see the diagram of the part of the coast and the beach that has been granted and will be able to immediately file a complaint if they observe arbitrary occupation or exceeding the concession.

6. New technologies (drones, satellites) are used for more effective controls by the state

With the new law, it is foreseen that new technologies (drones, satellites) will be used to make the controls of the beaches by the state more effective. At the same time, an integrated control mechanism is being created, with mixed levels of control, by officials from the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, the Real Estate Service, the municipality, the A.A.D.E., the Economic Police, ELAS and the prosecutorial authorities, while and mixed scales.

7. Stricter penalties are imposed for those who arbitrarily violate the rules of beach management

The penalties are scaled according to the seriousness of the violation and in particular whether there is a contract and the concessionaire has exceeded the concession or there is none in which case it is an arbitrary occupation. In any case, umbrellas and sunbeds are removed, while if there are illegal constructions, they are demolished.

In cases of arbitrary occupation, the business in the occupied space is sealed and shut down, the space is sealed with tape and entry is prohibited as well as any economic activity in it. A fine equal to four times the minimum price of the auction is imposed and the violator is excluded from any coastal and beach concession process for five years.

If the concession has been exceeded, the penalties start from fines and escalate to a ban on participating in auctions as well as suspension of the business. With the changes reached in Parliament, the framework is further tightened as the most serious sanctions (exclusion from new concessions and suspension of operation) are imposed when the excess is greater than 30% of the concession (instead of the 50% originally envisaged).

For the first time, fines for obstructing the public’s free access to the sea, the foreshore and the beach are established, from 2,000 to 60,000 euros. Criminal penalties are also provided for anyone who brings about any change to the seashore or the beach without or in excess of a permit or with a permit that was issued illegally.