The concessions to the bathing establishments are extended until 2027 , the tenders must be announced by the previous June and those who take over must pay compensation to those who leave and ensure the continuity of employment of the workers. The “bathing establishments” case that had hundreds of Sardinian entrepreneurs in suspense finds a solution. And the Council of Ministers approves the decree that is the result of a series of comparisons and balances. The case is closed.

"The collaboration between Rome and Brussels", Palazzo Chigi underlines, "has allowed us to find a balance between the need to open the concessions market and the opportunity to protect the legitimate expectations of current concessionaires, allowing us to conclude a long-standing and complex issue of particular importance for our nation".

The echo from Brussels immediately arrived, commenting positively on the reform and the "constructive exchanges" but above all underlining that it is "a global, open and non-discriminatory solution that covers all the concessions to be implemented within the next three years".

The game has involved the minister and EU commissioner in pectore, Raffaele Fitto, in a series of contacts, from Brussels and the Quirinale to the interested categories. And it is not certain that it has not also crossed paths with other dossiers. With a final closure that is entirely political: the definitive green light came at a majority summit between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Deputy Prime Ministers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini and the leader of Noi Moderati Maurizio Lupi. In addition, of course, to the competent minister Raffaele Fitto. The issue of concessions is now included in the infringement decree approved by the Council of Ministers which, Palazzo Chigi explains, will facilitate the closure of 16 infringement cases and one EU Pilot case: these range from the reduction of justice times for the payment of commercial debts and interception services in criminal investigations to the rules on the highway code, from the protection of minors investigated in criminal proceedings, to copyright.

A series of adjustments that "will allow Italy to significantly reduce the number of pending infringement procedures". It is the sign, before the arrival of the Commission's press release, that the green light has arrived from Brussels.

The main innovation introduced in the decree is a new extension of the concessions until September 2027. But in the event of "objective reasons" that prevent the completion of the tender procedures , a further possible postponement is foreseen until March 31, 2028. In any case, the duration of the new concessions must be at least five years and no more than twenty, "in order to guarantee the concessionaire to amortize the investments made".

As for the tenders, the deadline is June 30, 2027: by this date, the beach concessions must be auctioned. For the beach operators, however, the lifebelt of compensation appears, which however will not involve the state coffers. In fact, the draft states that the outgoing concessionaire will have "the right to recognition of compensation paid by the incoming concessionaire". In practice, a sort of start-up fee for the activity "equal to what is necessary to guarantee the outgoing concessionaire a fair return on the investments made in the last five years".

Not only that: the reform also provides for the obligation to hire workers employed in the previous concession who received from that activity the main source of income for themselves and their family unit.

(Online Union)

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