Sicily clarifies maritime fee exemptions following Cyclone Harry

The Sicilian Regional Department of the Environment has clarified that maritime concession fee exemptions for 2026 are strictly limited to businesses that suffered severe damage due to Cyclone Harry. Rino Beringheli, General Manager of the department, addressed a dispute involving a hotel business in Cefalù, Palermo, which had been requested to pay the fees.

Under regional law and subsequent decrees, extraordinary exemptions are available for companies involved in tourism, recreation, sports, yachting, shipbuilding, or port activities that were gravely impacted by the January 2026 weather events. To qualify, a business must demonstrate at least one of the following: total or significant suspension of activity, partial or total unusability of structures, significant loss of beach surface due to coastal erosion, documented and relevant economic loss, or functional impairment of the concession area.

Regarding the specific case in Cefalù, officials stated that the company in question had neither submitted an exemption request nor declared significant damages. Consequently, the department issued an invitation to regularize the payment, which was due by September 15.