Some Italian beach clubs staged what they called a "kind" sun umbrella strike Friday by holding off on raising their parasols from opening time at seven thirty to nine thirty in a protest against moves under EU pressure to open up the sector to greater competition.
Maurizio Rustignoli, president of sector union Fiba Confesercenti, said there had been "a great adhesion, above expectations, to the awareness-raising moment wanted and organised today by Fiba Confesercenti and Sib Confcommercio." He said that "the most important bathing basins in Italy, such as Romagna and Tuscany, saw an almost total participation, and over 80% of bathing beach operators kept their umbrella service closed throughout the country." Consumer group Codacons spoke of a "flop with adhesions below expectations and organisations totally divided on the lockout." Brussels wants Rome to assign bathing establishment concessions by tender under the terms of the Bolkestein Directive requiring EU countries to ensure fair competition and transparency in order to avoid any kind of discriminatory practices that could undermine the single market principle, a move that Italy has so far resisted.
Rome is risking a European Commission infringement procedure on the issue.
In the event of continued non-compliance the EC may launch full-blown legal proceedings before the European Court of Justice.
The issue, one of the most sensitive between the EU and Rome, is approaching closure after the rightwing government of Premier Giorgia Meloni failed to block the bidding of beach concessions after the recent last extension to the end of this year.
Meloni has failed to block the EU-mandated tenders for the concessions despite electoral promises made when she swept to landslide victory at the head of a rightwing coalition in autumn 2022.
Despite opposition from current operators of beach establishments, concession activities, and state-owned areas, with a 15-year delay, the auctions will finally be held in 2025.
The saga seems to be heading toward an end because the Italian government has run out of tools to justify to Brussels the continued extraordinary delay in the expiration of concessions.
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