Number Of Blue Flag Clean Italian Beaches Increases

Italy’s beaches are getting cleaner. The number of Italian resorts awarded the prestigious Blue Flag for clean water and sands has risen this year. Blue Flags were given to 135 Italian seaside resorts in 2013, four more than last year, with total of 248 beaches. There are nine new winners including Marina di Carrara in Tuscany and Francavilla al Mare in Abruzzo, as well as a lakeside beach resort in Levico Terme in Trentino-Alto Adige. With 20 Blue Flags, Liguria has the cleanest beaches in Italy and won two more than last year. Marche takes second place with 18 Blue Flags, two more than last year, and Tuscany third place with 17, one more than last year. Sardinia received an extra Blue Flag, bringing its total to seven, and Sicily lost one with a total of four Blue Flag beaches. The Blue Flag Programme is owned and run by the Foundation for Environmental Education non-profit organisation. It is a voluntary eco-label awarded to beaches and marinas in 46 countries in Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada and the Caribbean. The Blue Flag works towards sustainable development of beaches and marinas through strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services.