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Blue Flag

The BLUE FLAG CAMPAIGN (BFC) is an international exclusive eco-label indicating clean, safe and well-managed beaches and marinas.

The Blue Flag Campaign originally started as a French idea for municipalities in 1985 and was launched on the European level in 1985 as one of the initiatives of the European Union. The campaign started with around 450 Blue Flags awarded to beaches and marinas in 10 countries. The number of beaches/marinas and the number of participating countries has increased year by year. The Blue Flag Campaign is not anymore only a European campaign. Since 2001, South Africa, Morocco and five countries in the Caribbean are working on implementing the Blue Flag.

In 2006, 2589 beaches and 641 marinas in 33 countries received the Blue Flag, including European countries, Canada, Morocco, and New Zealand, South African Republic, Caribbean countries.
The international non-governmental and non-profit organisation "The Foundation for Environmental Education" (FEE) owes and runs the Blue Flag Campaign. FEE has a member organisation working in the field of environmental education and information for safety development in each country administrating the Blue Flag Campaign on the national level.

Before being able to launch the BFC in a new country the FEE member organisation - initiator the BFC on the national (regional) level should go through the following steps:
• Arrange a national (regional) Blue Flag workshops and seminars for dissemination of information and discussion on extent of interest on BFC development in the region;
• Form a National (regional) Blue Flag Committee;
• Produce a Blue Flag feasibility study and assess of what can be called the “supporting system“ for a national (regional) BFC;
• Run a Blue Flag pilot phase.

NGO “Keep Saint-Petersburg Tidy” is initiating the Blue Flag Campaign in Saint- Petersburg and the project “Blue Flag Campaign Promotion in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region” with the supporting of Nordic Council of Ministers.

In 2004 SPbPO "Keep Saint-Petersburg Tidy" implemented the 3rd step and prepared the base for implementation of 4th step – Blue Flag pilot phase, that was started in summer period 2005.
In 2009 two marinas in North-West Russia – Yacht-club “Baltiec” and Yacht-club Terijoki have received Blue Flag sertificates.