(11.5.2011)
Blue Flag first for Jordan and the United Arab Emirates !
On the 25th spring meeting of the International Blue Flag Jury the first sites in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates were awarded the Blue Flag, while sites in the US Virgin Islands requested to join the programme with pilot sites.
A total of 2927 beaches and 626 marinas in 36 countries were awarded the Blue Flag, a programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), when the International Blue Flag Jury met on 29 April to review the northern hemisphere: Canada, Europe, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Malcolm Powell, Chair of the International Blue Flag Jury, said: “Blue Flag is proud to count so many qualitative sites in the world, and on 5 June, a new mapping system will be launched where the location of beaches and marinas can be found by country or by region on the Blue Flag website, along with more detailed information about the awards: www.blueflag.org.”
Mr Powell, a member of the FEE Executive Board, added: “The Blue Flag International Jury would like to congratulate all sites awarded this year for their commitment to the programme and the high standards achieved for the public and our environment.”
Originally a French idea, the Blue Flag programme became an international award in 1987 and has since
spread across the world, expanding from one to 41 countries and reaching New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and Brazil. From 1 June there will be a total of 638 marinas and 3012 beaches awarded the Blue Flag worldwide, making a total of 3650 sites around the world.
Each year, national Blue Flag juries assess all Blue Flag candidates to ensure they meet all of the criteria for beaches and marinas at the national and international level. Those that do are then forwarded to the International Jury, who focuses on set criteria that varies from year to year, before giving a final verdict.
The next International Blue Flag Jury will be in September 2011, to evaluate beaches and marinas from South Africa, the countries of the Caribbean, Brazil and New Zealand.
The International Blue Flag Jury is composed of representatives from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), International Lifesaving Federation (ILS), the European Environment Agency (EEA), European Union for Coastal Conservation (EUCC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an Environmental Education expert, the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) and FEE.
The Blue Flag also greatly appreciates the support of its sponsors: Corona Extra, Shipmate and BeachTech.
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is a non-governmen, non-profit organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education.
FEE is an international umbrella organisation with one national member organisation per country representing FEE on the national level and in charge of implementing FEE programmes nationally. FEE currently has 74 member organisations in 64 countries worldwide.
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