What audit system is in place to ensure that FEE standards are always upheld?
For the Blue Flag programme, the beaches and marinas that apply for the award go through a series of control points. The first is during the application period, when the sites are reviewed by first a national jury (made up of experts within the country, you can see the composition on the website) and then an international jury. Then if the site is awarded with the flag, they are visited at least once a year by a national controller who will assure that all criteria are being met. Every year about 10-15% of the sites are also visited by an international controller. If there are non compliances, then the flag is removed until they are fixed, or for the rest of the season, depending on the severity. What is the definition of a “designated bathing area”? A “designated bathing area” is a bathing area that is officially selected to be a bathing area by the European Union (for EU countries) or the relevant national authorities (for non-EU countries). A designated bathing area within the EU mu
