Beach exploitation by municipalities halted

March 31, 2015
Written by E.Tsiliopoulos

The right to use of the beaches cannot be granted to municipalities by a single, one-size-fits-all ministerial decision, the Council of State said on Monday, in a case on how coastal cities can utilise beaches for revenues, whether on their own or by granting licences to third parties.

The fifth section of the Council, the country's highest administrative court, said that the exploitation of beaches must be carried out "singly, per case, and after individualised decision by [local] management."

Because of the significance of the issue, however, the Council's section referred it to a larger section for a final ruling.

The opinion came after an injunction filed by the Athens Bar Association, asking for cancellation of a 2009 ministerial decision allowing municipalities to award contracts directly to third parties.

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