110 plages de Grèce mises en vente

See also: Greece Sells 110 Beaches To Appease Troika, "Tell The Russians & Qataris To Hurry Up!"

La Grèce va mettre en vente 110 des plus belles plages du pays.
C’est via TAIPED, l’agence de privatisation, que l’État va offrir ces sites naturels, parmi les plus beaux du pays : des baux d’une durée de 50 ans sont proposés aux investisseurs.

Parmi ces joyaux du patrimoine naturel grec, les plages de Myrto à Kato Achaia ou encore Vasiliki à Lefkada et Kalamitsi à Chalkidiki, mais aussi la baie de Simos et la plage de Sarakino, sur l’île Elafonissos, située au sud du Péloponnèse.
Ces derniers appartiennent à la réserve européenne Natura 2000 [1].
Ce site de plus de 17 hectares, jusqu’alors préservé, va devenir la cible des promoteurs et du bétonnage qui se répand dans leur sillage.
Athènes espère ainsi réduire une partie de sa dette auprès des banques.

Notes

[1] Le réseau Natura 2000 est un ensemble de sites naturels européens, terrestres et marins, identifiés pour la rareté ou la fragilité des espèces sauvages, animales ou végétales, et de leurs habitats. Natura 2000 concilie préservation de la nature et préoccupations socio-économiques. En France, le réseau Natura 2000 comprend 1753 sites.

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Greece Sells 110 Beaches To Appease Troika, "Tell The Russians & Qataris To Hurry Up!"

One hundred and ten of Greece’s best beaches are on sale by Greece’s privatization agency, the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (TAIPED) in the name of supposed 'development' and 'utilization of public assets' as the prerequisite for receiving more handouts from the Troika. "This sale of the land must happen," explains one Greek civil servant, "we need this now, quickly. Tell the Russians and the Qataris to hurry up!"
But as KeepTalkingGreece notes, not everyone is so exuberant about a supposedly recovered Greece dumping assets in order to pay back its European bailout banker overlords. With SYRIZA taking the lead in elections, the euro-skeptic sentiment is likely only to rise.

• *SYRIZA PLACES FIRST IN GREECE'S EU ELECTIONS, EXIT POLL SHOWS

As The Guardian reports, some 70,000 lots are for sale in the nation's largest firesale. "We are like a bankrupt housewife forced to sell the silver, to save the family," said one Greek beach-sitter, "Greece has no choice." Well - in fact - they do...

As The Guardian reports,

On Monday Antonis Samaras, the prime minister, scraped through another round of negotiations with the Troika – the EU, IMF and European Central Bank – and managed to secure payment of the next EU 8.8 billion instalment of the bailout. But privatisation is a prerequisite for receiving the bailout funds.

The sale of the coast at Afandou is part of the Greek government's desperate attempts to raise money by privatising its vast portfolio of state-owned assets – the largest firesale in history. Some 70,000 lots are for sale, ranging from pristine stretches of coast through to royal palaces, marinas, thermal baths, ski resorts and entire islands. Only last Wednesday, bidding closed for a stake in the state gambling company.

...

"We are like a bankrupt housewife forced to sell the silver, to save the family," he said. "Greece has no choice."

...

"This sale of the land must happen," she said. "We need this now, quickly. Tell the Russians and the Qataris to hurry up!"

...

"Anyone who argues against it is either an idiot, or a state employee who doesn't think about economic reality and just likes to lounge on the beach," he said. "We have our heads in the noose."

However, not everyone supports the idea of so many places going under the hammer.

"We need to keep state ownership of all our assets – not sell them to the highest bidder," complained Yiannis Milios, chief economist for the opposition Syriza party, who would prefer to see more use of public-private partnerships, rather than sales.

"Experience shows that the privatisation of public goods is a very bad idea. With water, for instance, the quality falls but the price rises, which is totally wrong. The government is very good at finding legal formulas to work its way round supposed guarantees of public interest. It is not a good idea at all."

But - after loud protests from the people.. the government has backed off a little...

As the new draft bill for the ‘regulation of seashores’ foresees that the sold beaches must allow a small space for the public to use for free, it is really hilarious to see the plot of Sarakino beach for sale: it is marked with red ink. A tiny strip of beach is foreseen for free access for the public. The free beach is so small that it will allow swimmers to enjoy sun bathing most probably standing on their feet.

It seems the Greeks have forgotten one thing... their free-will choice to remain "in" the Euro...

• *SYRIZA FORECAST TO GET 26%-30% VS 23%-27% FOR NEW DEMOCRACY

Or have they?

Full Greek Asset Sale list below...

Greek Asset Sales

Greece sells 110 of its best beaches in the name of “development”

One hundred and ten of Greece’s best beaches are on sale by Greece’s privatization agency,  the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (TAIPED) in the name of supposed “development” and “utilization of public assets”. In fact a sale off of Greece best beaches for cash so that the debt-ridden country can pay back its lenders.
The beaches plots are to be on sale with “50 years of utilization by the new owners.”
In the list of TAIPED are featured among others Myrto Beach in Kato Achaia, Vasiliki Beach in Lefkada, Kalmitsi beach in Chalkidiki  and – what a shame – two beaches in Elafonisos, the small island between Peloponnese and Kythira, famous for its blue-green waters and light colored sandy beaches.

From the list of 110 beaches
Myrtoula beach, Kato Achaia area, West Achaia Municipality, Achaia
Korfoxylia, Magouliana area, Municipality of Gortynia, Arcadia
Agioi Anargyroi area, Municipality of Ermioni, Argolida, Peloponnese
Koronissia area, Arta
Kalamitsi, Municipality of Sithonia, Chalkidiki
Nea Propontida, Nea Irakleia, Chalkidiki
Nea Fokea area, Kassandra Municipality, Chalkidiki
Porto Koufo area, Toroni, Sithonia Municipality, Chalkidiki
Filizi area, near Naousa, Paros island, Cyclades
Apokofto or Agia Kyriaki, Agios Ioannis area, Tinos island, Cyclades
Ixia, Rhodes island, Dodecanese (via postin.gr)
Elafonisos

Breathtaking Sarakino beach and Simos beach in Elafonisos are furthermore under the protection of European Program “Natura 2000″.

For sale is a 175,000 sq m plot of Sarakino beach. While TAIPED warns the future buyers of Forestry, Enviromental and Legal restrictions, it notes that the investor could build Hotel and/or vacation homes.

The Guardian on Elafonisos
“Elafonisos has the best beach in Greece. So said more than one local during our stay nearby. It’s quite a claim given the reputation of the country’s islands, and you might imagine it would be hard for the beach to live up to expectations. But catching sight of it for the first time I found myself saying, “Wow!” Here was the fine sand and clear aquamarine water you rarely see outside of adverts for the Caribbean. The banner flapping gently over the entrance to Simos beach said it all: “Welcome to Paradise.”

However after the outcry in Greece and the fierce opposition by residents and local officials in Elafonisos, TAIPED announced the island beaches will not be for sale “now” but on a later point.
As the new draft bill for the ‘regulation of seashores’ foresees that the sold beaches must allow a small space for the public to use for free, it is really hilarious to see the plot of Sarakino beach for sale: it is marked with red ink. A tiny strip of beach is foreseen for free access for the public. The free beach is so small that it will allow swimmers to enjoy sun bathing most probably standing on their feet.
As I could not copy paste the picture of Sarakino beach, please, click in TAIPED list here in pdf and go to page 31/.



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