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Greece Will Let Developers Seize Beachfronts, End Free Public Access

Greek BeachesA leading ecological group is objecting to Greek government plans to let private businesses – including those who have built operations unlawfully – to seize beachfront property and abolish the right for unhindered access to public beach lands.
The Greek branch of the World Wild Life Fund (WWF) has written to Members of Parliament – which is controlled by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ New Democracy Conservatives and his partner the PASOK Socialists – to protest the proposal it says will deprive Greeks of their right to be able to get to public beaches.
Athens’ coastline is dotted with unlawful taverns and businesses that charge people for access to public beaches, many of the operations running without licenses, which is common in Greece, amid complaints of corruption and officials being paid off to allow them.
The mayor of one of the coastal neighborhoods several years ago, in an attempt to get rid of the unlawful businesses on each fronts, tried to demolish some but the government stepped in and barred it.
WWF Greece labeled the Finance Ministry bill “criminal” and urged lawmakers in an open letter not to support it but MPs from the ruling parties face expulsion if they vote against the wishes of their leaders – who have already decided to let the proposal go ahead.
The bill lifts all current restrictions on the maximum area designated for beach concessions – such as bars, umbrellas and sun loungers – while abolishing the right to unhindered access to the coast for the public.
While there are public beaches, the prime pieces have long been seized by private businesses and the bill opens the way for the kind of clustered development that destroyed Spain’s beaches.
The proposed measures would also facilitate permanent constructions on beaches for commercial purposes, while making it possible for businesses to pay fines to legalize unlicensed constructions, effectively opening one of Greece’s best assets – its beaches – to be taken over and limit public access.

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