The "Blue Flag" label in a few words
Created by the French Office of the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe in 1985, the Blue Flag recognizes each year the municipalities and marinas that have a permanent policy of research and sustainable application for a quality environment.
Its success is such that it is now present throughout France, and that the Foundation for Environmental Education is already working to extend this label to the rest of the world with the United Nations Environment Program and the World Tourism Organization. The Blue Flag is currently present in 46 countries around the world.
This flag rewards the efforts made by the Commune on the following points:
- Education and awareness of the public to the environment: information at the tourist office about the sites, protected species, encouragement to use green means of transport, implementation of actions to raise awareness of environmental problems and nature protection;
- General environment: planning and urbanism, tourism and accessibility, tourism and security, reception, tourism and green spaces, protection and management of natural spaces and landscapes;
- Waste management: destination and treatment of household waste, collection of bulky items, selective collection, cleanliness of the site, frequency of maintenance and collection;
- Water management: sanitation, water quality management, environmental management, excellent quality of bathing water.
A labeled municipality must have :
- An efficient sanitation in order to reduce the impact of pollution generated by its wastewater
- The cleanliness of the beaches must be guaranteed to holidaymakers,
- The most severe sanitary standards for bathing water must be reached so that activities on the beaches remain above all a moment of relaxation and leisure.
The label is awarded for 1 year.
Who can obtain the "Blue Flag" label?
All municipalities with a marina, beaches or bodies of water.
Participation fees apply from the second year of application.
Who is the public concerned by the " Blue Flag " label ?
The public concerned is essentially composed of vacationers but also of residents.
A survey by the BVA institute indicates that 67% of French people know the Blue Flag and 81% want to spend their vacations in a Blue Flag site. For 8 out of 10 French people, the Blue Flag is a guarantee of the cleanliness of beaches and water quality.
For more information:http://www.pavillonbleu.org/
The "Blue Flag" label on the intermunicipality
For more than 20 years, the municipality of La Londe Les Maures has been awarded the Blue Flag for the beaches of Argentière, Tamaris and Miramar, and for its port. It is the only commune in the Var region to be awarded for all its beaches.
The creation of the underwater path in 2005 is our best example.