Petition No 0191/2025 by Coralba Bonazza (Italian) on a request for derogation from Directive 2006/123/EC for beach concessions in Natura 2000 areas in Italy
7 Supporters
Status: Closed
The petitioner points out that the Bolkestein Directive (Directive 2006/123/EC) requires that public tenders take place for the award of beach concessions on state-owned land, but it does not consider the environmental obligations of Natura 2000 protected areas, creating a conflict with EU regulations on the protection of biodiversity, such as the Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC) and the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC). The petitioner adds that beach concessions in these areas are subject to strict environmental constraints, such as the Environmental Impact Assessment and management plans to protect ecosystems, but the Bolkestein Directive requires concessions to be awarded through public tenders without considering environmental sustainability, jeopardising the protection of protected coastal areas and contrary to the EU’s principle of environmental priority (Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). The petitioner stresses that the environmentally sound management of these areas requires continuity and specific skills, which cannot be guaranteed by the continuous replacement of concessionaires. She therefore calls on the European Commission to recognise that the application of Bolkestein Directive to concessions in Natura 2000 areas is incompatible with EU environmental obligations. The Commission should do this by granting a derogation and introducing environmental sustainability criteria to the award procedure. The petitioner also proposes a concession model that prioritises the quality of environmental management, rather than just economic criteria, and she says that the Bolkestein Directive cannot take precedence over the protection of coastal ecosystems, and the European Union must ensure that market liberalisation complies with the principles of sustainability and conservation of biodiversity.