In a stark indictment of Greece’s state inspection mechanisms, a new report from the Hellenic Court of Audit reveals that authorities are struggling to police the country’s beaches — often relying on measuring tapes and ribbons instead of modern tools like drones — in the face of a booming “industry” of illegal beach occupation.
Despite tens of thousands of complaints, inspections remain minimal, and where they do occur, significant delays in imposing fines and administrative measures allow unlawful businesses — such as beach bars and rental operations using public shoreline for umbrellas and sunbeds — to operate freely throughout the summer season, often without consequence. In some cases, even businesses that had been officially shut down were found to still be running.
The report, published on Wednesday, July 17, underscores the inability of state land and municipal authorities to effectively monitor and regulate beach usage. Alarmingly, only about one-third of complaints submitted by citizens in 2024 via the “MyCoast” app resulted in completed inspections.
The regions of Halkidiki, Eastern Attica, and the Dodecanese emerged as the top offenders in terms of unlawful occupation of coastal space.
The report criticizes the lack of regular inspections, especially in summer, and the absence of a risk-based strategy to prioritize enforcement. There’s no system to focus on high-risk areas like popular beaches or repeat offenders, raising concerns about inefficiency and potential bias.
In 2024, 41,737 complaints—mostly via the MyCoast app—were filed, with 60% coming from just ten regions, underscoring both the scale of the issue and the difficulty of addressing it effectively.
The report highlights that routine inspections have been sidelined by the flood of complaints, mainly due to understaffed land services and outdated tools. Inspections can be delayed by weeks or even months, as in-person visits are the only way to verify violations — often using just tape measures and ribbons.
Despite previous announcements, the report confirms that in 2024 there was still no deployment of innovative technology — such as drones or satellite-based applications — that could drastically reduce the time and labor needed to handle violations.
