Greece’s New Beach Law Bans Sunbeds on 70% of Beach

A new bill has been passed in Greece which has introduced stricter beach rules. It requires 70 percent of the space on any given beach in Greece to remain free of sunbeds. This is in an attempt to prevent overcrowding.

This new measure, which encompasses a number of rules, comes ahead of the summer season. It will be strictly enforced and aims to improve public access to Greece’s famed coastlines, making beaches more orderly.

To prevent overcrowding and make sunbathing a more enjoyable activity, one of the major changes, as already mentioned, will in fact mandate that the majority of any given beach remain sunbed-free. In protected areas, 85 percent of beach space needs to be clear of sunbeds. A minimum distance of four meters between sunbeds and the shoreline will also be enforced in an effort to ensure easy access to the water.

So-called “untouchable beaches” will be established in ecologically-rich areas, where sunbeds will be banned entirely. The new law also states that at least half of the beaches remain open to the public. Reportedly, this is to prevent areas from being taken over by rental umbrellas and bars.

In recent years, there has been a growing concern with beaches being monopolized by hotels and beach businesses, limiting public access. Lease allocations for concessions will also be awarded through online auctions to avoid any underhand deals and increase transparency.

Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis shared news of the new rules on TikTok, detailing that e-auctions to obtain a beach license are to be introduced to control who purchases and operates businesses on land.

He stated that anybody who acquires a permit will also have specific obligations and responsibilities to keep beaches sanitary, allow access to people with disabilities, and hire a lifeguard. The law will be enforced with checks, fines, and even closures of businesses if needed.

The other issue with Greece’s beach bill

During the creation of the bill, the government was met with calls from environmental organizations to withdraw controversial provisions which would allow construction right on the sea. Earlier, the government had announced there were plans to remove the minimum protection limit of thirty meters from the coastline.

The groups said that as other Mediterranean countries such as France and Spain establish coastal zones of 100 to 250 meters from the shore, Greece is doing the opposite by abolishing the minimum protection limit of 30 meters.

Setback zones of at least 100 meters are required by all signatory countries of the Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean. This has been ratified by the European Union but not by Greece.

The bill also removes the ban on the concession of “small coastal areas” (less than 5 meters in length or width, or less than 150 square meters in area).