Blue Flag Awards

FEEE. the Foundation for Enviornmental Education in Europe is the organisation behind the European Blue Flag campaign. Now in its 11th year, it has become not only a reliable source of information on clean, safe and enjoyable enviornments for costal recreation, but also made a significant contridution to public awareness of enviornmental issues. So it has become a means of public education.

The award of a Blue Flag increasingly tells more than just that the bathing water quality is good. To obtain the right to fly the Blue Flag, beaches and marinas have to demonstrate that they provide and manage a range of facilities; including proper provision of litter bins, enviornmental information at both beaches and marinas, and hazardous waste collection facilities at marinas. Blue Flag locations also offer the proper provisions of help for the disabled, control the access of dogs and the parking of cars. Basically, the Blue Flag is a gaurantee of quality.

For the European Blue Flag campaign to succeed it needs the help and co-operation of a wide range of people. FEEE is pleased to acknowledge the help of government ministeries, local muniocipal authorities and non-governmental orginisations. The European Blue Flag campaign is funded by the European Commission, and advised by experts in every country. But for its means the Campaign depends on hundreds of people, who, in different ways, playing many different roles, take the trouble to make and keep their local costal area clean and effective.

Blue Flag Criteria for Beaches

• bathing water quality and Blue Flag information must be published on the beach
• there must be five environmental activities offered to the public
• there must be information poster or published on protected sites or species in the area of the beach
• there must be prompt public warning in case of gross pollution or other dangers
• the beach regulations and code of conduct must be posted on the beach

• the community should offer visitors and the local population an environmental interpetation center, ecology center, or similar permenant public or school environmental education facility

• there must be an environmental plan for the developement and use of the costal area of the community
• there must be sufficient litter bins on the beach to keep it clean
• the beach must be cleaned on a regular basis; daily in the peak season
• recreational activities on and in the vicinity of the beach must not interfere with nature protectioon

• there should be an emergency plan covering response in the case of pollution incidents
• there should not be any algal or other vegatation left to decay on the beach

WATER QUALITY
Imperative

• comliance with the standards and requirements of the European Union Bathing Water Directive concerning the parameters of total and faecal coliform and faecal streptococci. These standards cover fortnightly sampling during the bathing season and compliance with both guideline and imperative values
• the beach area must not be affected by industrial or sewage related waste water
• there must not be any signs of gross pollution from oil, human waste, or other sources in the beach area

SAFETY AND SERVICES

• the beach must have easy and safe access
• there must be sufficient and clean public toilets by the beach, the sewage disposal of which is controlled
• there must be sufficient lifeguards or lifesaving equipment to ensure response to an emergency anywhere on the Blue Flag beach
• recreational activities in the beach area must not endanger any beach user
• first aid must be available on the beach
• the access of dogs and domestic animals to the beach must be restricted and controlled
• there must not be any camping or unauthorised driving on the beach

• there should be a free source of drinking water
• there should be public telephones available by the beach
• there should be access and facilities for people with disabilities
• the beaches should properly maintained

technical criteria