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April/May 202 2 V MAGAZINE asking for this derogation to be extended at least until the end of the summer season. It is clear that concessionary spaces are not under discussion, but temporary concessions must remain where possible. By now, eating outside has become a discriminating factor in the choice of restaurant, and taking away space will put many businesses in difficulty”. Outside, in the green, the future of eating out looks rosier. ________________________________ BOX Genoa free, Milan and Florence discounted While the simplification of authorisation procedures for the occupation of public spaces for the installation of terraces for bars and restaurants has been extended until 30 June 2022, since April the tax to be paid has returned. Italian municipalities have taken different paths on this point. Genoa, for example, has extended the free-of-charge occupation of public areas for outdoor dining until 31 December. According to the Councillor for Commerce Paola Bordilli: “The free use of public spaces for outdoor dining is a practical aid that we want to maintain even beyond the end of the state of emergency in support of a category that generates employment and keeps our squares and streets alive, both in the centre and on the outskirts. This extension will also give businesses the time they need to comply with the municipal regulations for outdoor dining granted for the Covid emergency, whether new or widened, with uniform layouts and aesthetics in keeping with urban decor”. A rarity not followed by the other big names. Although there are those who offer discounts: in Milan, where 80% of the 2,500 outdoor dining areas created thanks to Covid (Epam data) will remain, shopkeepers have obtained a 20% discount on the fee for occupying public land, at least until the end of the year. The same “discount” was granted in Florence, which decided to set limits on concessions: no outdoor dining beyond the street and maximum occupation equal to one parking space. This has reduced by two thirds the emergency occupations,