A Joint Ministerial Decision of the Ministers of National Economy and Finance, National Defense, Environment and Energy, Culture, Shipping and Island Policy, as well as Tourism, determines the conditions and procedure for the placement and exploitation of moorings, i.e. floating fixed anchorage points, used for mooring boats without the need to drop anchor, in areas outside the maritime zones of ports or tourist ports.
The decision aims to regulate an activity with growing tourist interest, with a focus on safety, environmental protection and proper management of the marine space.
According to the decision, the areas where the placement of moorings will be permitted must meet specific spatial criteria. Among other things, minimum distances of 500 meters are provided from port zones, passenger or international shipping routes, Renewable Energy Sources installations) and already installed vessels, as well as distances of 100 meters from swimming beaches and aquaculture units. If these are individual vessels for private use, the minimum distance from other vessels is reduced to 50 meters.
The placement of vessels in areas that affect the operational operation of the Navy, in areas with submarine cables or pipelines, as well as in underwater archaeological sites is prohibited, unless it is to serve visitable underwater archaeological sites, subject to approval by the Ministry of Culture.
For the concession of the marine area, an annual financial consideration is paid to the State, which ranges from 5 to 20 euros per hectare, depending on the concession price for the simple use of the adjacent shoreline. The surface area granted is calculated based on a circle with a radius equal to the maximum length of the vessel to be moored to the mooring.
The payment of the consideration is a prerequisite for the approval of the placement of the mooring, while without it, the installation is prohibited. In addition, by February 15 of each year, after the first placement, a copy of the proof of payment of the financial consideration for each annual use must be submitted to the competent Port Authority.
The above decision establishes a unified and stricter framework for the utilization of marine areas outside port facilities, responding to the demand for organized and safe mooring solutions for tourist boats, especially in tourist areas where congestion or lack of infrastructure is observed.
Photo Source: pixabay.com
