The joint ministerial decision defining "pristine beaches" in Greece was signed by Economy Minister Kostis Hatzidakis and Environment and Energy Minister Thodoros Skilakakis. There are 198 beaches throughout Greece which are part of the Natura 2000 network and where concessions will be prohibited, and therefore the installation of sun umbrellas and sunbeds.
"The main goal of the regulations, which we established in this law, is the combination of environmental protection with sustainable development." After all, the environment is a valuable component of the Greek tourism product," said Economy Minister Kostis Hatzidakis.
He explains that the goal is efficiency, which is why they are now implementing a general framework for the protection of "pristine beaches", which will be in force until the Special Environmental Studies commissioned for Natura 2000 areas are completed.
"We are bringing order to public property, with a strict framework of rules, penalties and obligations for concessionaires, a strengthened system of control, transparency and determination to enforce the law," said Hatzidakis.
The Minister of Environment and Energy, Todoros Skilakakis, emphasized that the decision on the so-called "pristine beaches" foresees that they will not be used for touristic exploitation, because the priority on those beaches is the ecological, not the development-investment aspect.
Some of the most beautiful beaches will be without sunbeds
Many such beaches are located on the islands of Crete, Alonissos, Evia, Folegandros, Kalymnos, but also on the mainland of Greece, primarily in the Peloponnese. Almost 40 "pristine beaches" are in the Dodecanese, 13 in Karpathos.
Some of the most beautiful coastal areas that include protected natural areas are the Gramvousa peninsula in Crete, where the most famous Balos beach is located, Elafonisos in the Peloponnese, Koufonisia in the Cyclades.
Natura 2000 is an ecological network of the European Union that includes areas important for the preservation of endangered plant and animal species and ecological areas.
Prohibited use of the sea coast and beach
"Unspoiled beaches" are designated as recommended by the Organization for the Natural Environment and Climate Change. Criteria for such beaches are the significant presence of habitats protected by national or European Union laws, rare endemic species of flora and fauna, performance of important ecological functions for protected species, their designation as key areas of biodiversity, presence of important ecosystems that need protection and conservation.
On these beaches, the new law prohibits granting the right to use the seashore and the beach, as well as any other action that may threaten their morphology and integrity in terms of ecological functions.
In particular, the presence of motor vehicles, the organization of events with the participation of more than ten people, music or the production of other sounds using electrical reproduction or amplification devices, the placement of mobile elements, such as tables, umbrellas, sunbeds and the like, and the performance of activities that serve bathers are prohibited. or the recreation of the population, for the rental of marine equipment for recreation, the operation of a self-propelled or docking mobile station for refreshment.
Fines of up to 60.000 euros
Through the "My Coast" digital application, citizens will be able to file complaints for arbitrary occupation of Greek beaches or for exceeding the concession, with fines ranging from 2.000 to 60.000 euros.
The new rulebook that regulates public property on beaches provides citizens with access to the sea and establishes transparency in the concession of the coast and beach, while protecting the environment, according to the announcement of the competent ministries.
The new law foresees the use of new technologies (drones, satellites) in order to make beach control by the state more efficient. At the same time, an integrated control mechanism is being created, with mixed levels of control, by officials of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, the Real Estate Service, the municipality, the Economic Police, the police and the prosecutor's office.
Transparency guarantee
A new procedure for conducting electronic auctions by the Real Estate Service for coast and beach concessions is planned, with the initial price determined objectively. Obligations of the concessionaire for citizen services, beach safety and guarantee of accessibility are defined in detail.
Starting in 2024, all tenders for the concession of coastal and beach areas will be conducted by the Land Service, not municipalities, as was the case before. The process will take place digitally through an electronic platform that guarantees transparency and excludes any interventions and corruption.
The advertisement will be posted on the platform and website of the competent municipality at least twenty days before the auction date. The platform will set the data of each concession, the duration, conditions of the concession and the time of installation and removal of mobile elements.
The auctions that will be held this year, during the first application of the law, will be completed by May 15. From 2025 onwards, procedures will be completed by March 31.
At least half of the beach must remain free
Borders have been set on the beaches that will be put into use in order to ensure the passage of citizens and that there is enough free space. Namely, at least 50% of the beach must remain free, and at the same time the area of each concession cannot exceed 500 square meters.
Umbrellas and sunbeds can occupy up to 60% of the allocated area, or 30% for beaches located in Natura zones that are not marked as "unspoiled". 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 umbrellas must be at least 4 meters from the sea.
It is also not allowed to rent a beach when its length or width is less than 4 meters or when the total area of the coast is less than 150 square meters.
"Towel Movement"
The introduction of new laws on coastal concessions came about after last year's citizen protests, which were broken up by tourists as well. T
The so-called "Towel Movement", i.e. protests by local residents in Greece against restaurateurs and companies occupying space on beaches with sunbeds, spread last year from the popular tourist island of Paros to other islands and beaches throughout Greece.
Beaches in Greece are a public space, but an increasing number of companies have received permits to rent sunbeds and umbrellas on them, which they place along the entire beach.
"The beaches were so full of furniture that many people who didn't want to sit on a bed or in a chair had no other place to sunbathe," said one of the organizers of the movement, Eleni Adrianopoulou.
The citizens then pointed out that the prices for two sunbeds and an umbrella often go up to 100 euros per day, and that in many cases the companies spread far beyond the agreed area of the beach, leaving little space for those who want to lay down a towel and sunbathe for free.
Many Greek restaurateurs responded to the protests by commenting that they take care of the maintenance of the parts of the beach they occupied, while the rest remains full of garbage, because neither the municipality nor the tourists who stay there take care of them.
