Nuns who run a seaside resort in the Italian town of Spotorno are opposing plans by local authorities to put its operation out to public tender under EU rules.
The nuns have managed the resort since 1946 and had been exempt from standard commercial rules because they use the proceeds for charitable purposes.
Revenue from the resort, which includes a beach bar and an organised beach, helps fund a kindergarten and a summer camp.
EU law requires public beaches granted to private operators to be open to bids from other interested parties.
However, Spotorno mayor Mattia Fiorini told the nuns they would have to enter the public tender if they want to continue managing the resort.
Under the proposed arrangement, the site would operate as a “free equipped beach,” with free public access and a small fee for those who want to rent sunbeds and umbrellas. The nuns say this would generate significantly less revenue, leaving them unable to fund the kindergarten.
Spotorno could become one of the first municipalities in Italy to meet the 30 June 2027 deadline for putting existing private beach concessions out to public tender under the EU’s Bolkestein Directive.
Source: The Guardian
