private beach concessions set to disappear?

On the right, the public beach. On the left, easily recognizable with its colorful deckchairs, the private beach. It is not yet 10 am that the staff are already busy. Soon, the 140 places will find takers. In Menton (Alpes-Maritimes), private beaches are in the minority, but have their public. A few kilometers away is Italy and its 700 km of coastline, and in the peninsula, half of the beaches are private, like in Ventimiglia.

An Italian family man appreciates the comfort of the place, he has his habits here. “With children it’s more practical, and then there’s the service. It’s true that we feel calmer“, he says. Dian Luca has owned this beach for 28 years. Every six years, his concession is renewed almost automatically. For him, the Italian private beach is a strong symbol of Italy, since some beaches date back to 1800. But the private beach concessions, renewed almost for life, could disappear. Brussels intends to put order at European level, from January 2024.