Over 1,500 beach inspections with drones

Over 1,500 inspections at more than 300 beaches and 450 businesses have been carried out this year by the Property Service of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, as part of coastal surveillance. The primary tool for inspections is now unmanned aircraft, known as drones, which are utilized based on cooperation between the General Secretariat of Public Property and the University of the Aegean, and allow remote inspection without site visits to each location.

Citizen complaints remain the second source of information for the mechanism. Most complaints are submitted through the MyCoast application, while this year recorded the lowest number of complaints in recent years. Geographically, most reports came from Chalkidiki, Eastern Attica, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese and Kavala—areas with high tourist density and large numbers of organized beaches, where pressure on the shore is inherently greater during summer months.

The inspections have resulted in fines and seals. In Rhodes, fines totaling €73,000 were imposed on one business, with an order for immediate removal and sealing, while five businesses were sealed in Chalkidiki. In Ilia, a fine of €5,667.66 was imposed for obstructing access to the beach, and in Kavala a fine of €15,912 was imposed on a business operating without a concession contract. The businesses are not named in the announcement from the responsible authorities.

In Zakynthos, four businesses each received a €2,000 fine, while a separate fine of €72,490.60 was imposed for ancient shoreline occupation. The difference in magnitude between the two amounts is not coincidental: exceeding the limits of a lawful concession is treated differently from occupying an area for which there is no concession at all. Ancient shoreline, in particular, remains public property even when the coastline has shifted over decades.

In parallel with inspections, the legality process advanced. Over 8,000 concession contracts were completed this year, of which 4,870 were direct and 3,130 through electronic auctions. The proportion going through auction is the most interesting figure, as the electronic process determines the price through competition between candidates rather than administrative assessment, changing both the level of government revenue and the method of site allocation.

The lowest number of complaints in recent years admits multiple interpretations, and the announcement itself does not propose one. It could reflect a smaller number of violations, but could also be linked to changes in app usage. The total amount of fines imposed nationally, the number of total seals, or how many fines have been collected or appealed by the inspected businesses have not been announced.

Inspections are expected to continue until the end of summer, when organized beach usage peaks. Citizens can submit complaints through the MyCoast application, which is the official reporting channel. Businesses that have been sanctioned retain the right of appeal through available legal remedies, while the final outcome of each case will be determined after completion of the relevant procedures.