Frequently Asked Questions
About the new Blue Flag certification scheme, in force from the 2027 season. Grouped by audience: general, beaches, marinas, and tourism boats and sail training vessels.
General
When does the new scheme come into force?
According to the timeline shared by the programme, the new scheme will apply from the 2027 season. The current version of the document is in the final National Operator feedback stage before formal approval.
Is my current Blue Flag still valid in the meantime?
Yes. The 2026 season continues to be assessed under the current criteria; the new scheme does not apply retroactively.
Why is the programme changing now?
Blue Flag periodically reviews its requirements to stay aligned with global, international and regional sustainability standards, and to incorporate good practices that have emerged since the last update.
How many criteria will I have to meet?
The new scheme brings together 106 criteria in total, but no site meets all of them: each one applies only the subset that corresponds to its category (Beach, Marina, Tourism Boat or Sail Training Vessel) and, for Topic 7, only if it offers the specific activity.
What do the [I] and [R] labels next to each criterion mean?
The same logic that already existed is kept: [I] is an imperative criterion (mandatory compliance) and [R] is a recommended criterion (a good practice aimed at continuous improvement). Some criteria combine both ([I/R]).
Can I still give feedback before the scheme is approved?
Yes, while the consultation window managed by FEE Head Office remains open. Any questions about timing can be raised through your national operator.
What new documentation will I be asked for at the next audit?
Every new criterion brings its own block of audit evidence: written procedures, records, staff briefings and, in several cases, documented training. In general, expect more documentation, especially in Climate, Accessibility and Wildlife.
How can I use my own website or social media to meet the new information requirements?
Topic 1 explicitly recognises digital platforms as a valid channel, complementary to physical signage, for meeting the public-information criterion.
Beaches
What changes specifically for beaches?
A Social Responsibility Plan is introduced (new), an "Accessible Beach Point" (new, within Accessibility), and everything related to pollution — waste, chemicals, single-use plastics, light and noise pollution — is reorganised under Topic 4.
Are lifeguards and risk assessment still required?
Yes. Safety and Services remains its own topic (Topic 6), with lifeguards, risk assessment, first aid and emergency plans along the same lines as today.
What is the "Accessible Beach Point"?
A new recommended criterion under Topic 5, intended to guarantee a beach space with facilitated access for people with reduced mobility or other access limitations.
Marinas
What does "Shore Power and Water" involve under Climate Action?
It is a new imperative criterion (Topic 2) requiring the availability of electricity and water at berths, linked to climate mitigation by reducing dependence on fuel generators.
What is bilge water management, and why is it now its own criterion?
It used to be part, in a more generic way, of wastewater management. In the new scheme it is broken out as its own criterion under Topic 4, focused on preventing the discharge of bilge water contaminated with hydrocarbons.
Does anything change regarding sanitary tank waste reception?
It remains its own criterion, exclusive to marinas, integrated within the same block of water quality and invisible pollutants under Topic 4.
Tourism boats and sail training vessels
What are "Sail Training Vessels" (STV) and how do they differ from "Tourism Boats" (TB)?
STVs are sail training ships, oriented towards training crew members or "trainees". TBs are tourism excursion boats. The new scheme distinguishes them as separate categories, with criteria variants adapted to each type of operation.
What is the new Topic 7 on Responsible Wildlife Interaction?
A block exclusive to Tourism Boats, which is activated only if the operator offers the corresponding activity: bird watching, shark cage diving, recreational diving, recreational fishing, seal watching and cetacean watching.
If I offer cetacean watching, what do I need to have in place?
Documented procedures for minimum approach distance (100 metres, with a strict limit of not approaching closer than 50 metres), engine in neutral when the animal approaches voluntarily, maximum observation time (30 minutes, or 15 if more than one vessel is present), not returning to the same group within the same hour, and a ban on using sonar to locate them.
What about shark cage diving or recreational diving?
Controls are added for cage design and maintenance, pre-dive checks, emergency exits, restrictions on baiting protected species, mandatory briefings, verification of divers' documentation, site-specific dive risk assessment, and certified use of diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs).
I offer recreational fishing excursions on board — what does the new scheme require of me?
Legal compliance for the activity, avoiding the capture of protected or endangered species, respecting closed seasons and breeding areas, catch limits for private use, local bait sourcing, respectful handling of catches, and responsible disposal of fishing waste.
Are all these wildlife criteria mandatory?
Practically all of them are marked as imperative [I], but they only apply if the operator actually offers that activity.
Does accessibility also apply to vessels?
Yes, with its own recommended criterion for Tourism Boats and Sail Training Vessels under Topic 5.