News

The awarding ceremony and the opening event of the season of the world's most popular tourism eco-certificate - the Blue Flag - took place on 15 May on the premises of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. Eleven of Latvia's best bathing sites and one marina have retained the right to raise the Blue Flag in the 2023 season, which will start this Friday at the Lielezers bathing site in Limbaži Municipality.

The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MEPRD), invited local governments and National Jury institutions, as well as representatives of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE Latvia). During the event, the local governments that have received the Blue Flag Award shared their experiences in implementing the programme's criteria. The event also provided up-to-date information on topics related to the implementation of the Blue Flag requirements - bathing water quality and water pollution, safety aspects and risk prevention in bathing areas, as well as practical actions and best practices to reduce marine litter.

Mr Andris Ķēniņš, Deputy State Secretary of the MEPRD: "Blue Flag in a swimming area or marina means safe recreation in a clean environment. We are therefore grateful to those municipalities that, year after year, have put in the effort and resources to ensure that the Blue Flag waves at their bathing sites and marinas in the upcoming year, too. This shows care for the municipality's residents, holidaymakers and travellers, as well as for preserving the environment. Congratulations to Liepāja City, Riga City, Daugavpils City, Ventspils City, Jēkabpils Municipality, Limbaži Municipality and Saulkrasti Municipality on receipt of the Blue Flag, and to Kuldīga Municipality and Tukums Municipality on receipt of the National Bathing Site Quality Certificate in 2023."

This year, the Blue Flag has been awarded to the following bathing sites in Latvia:

·       Liepāja City South-Western bathing site

·       Liepāja City bathing site at the stadium

·       Liepāja city Beberliņi bathing site

·       Riga City Vakarbuļļi bathing site

·       Riga City Vecāķi bathing site

·       Daugavpils City bathing site Stropu Vilnis

·       Daugavpils City Stropu Lake bathing site

·       Ventspils City Beach

·       Jēkabpils Municipality Radži reservoir bathing site

·       Limbaži Municipality Lielezers bathing site

·       Saulkrasti Municipality Central bathing site

The Blue Flag will also wave in one Latvian marina - in Liepāja, the LSEZ marina called Liepāja Marina.

2 Latvian bathing sites also received the National Bathing Site Quality Certificate mark of distinction implemented within the framework of the Blue Flag programme - Kuldīga Municipality Mārtiņsala bathing site and Abragciems bathing site in Tukums Municipality.

"We are pleased with this year's results in the Blue Flag programme, because although the Blue Flag criteria continue to become more stringent and include new aspects, this year, after the uncertainty of the pandemic, candidates have on average scored much higher for the quality of implementation of the programme criteria. We are also pleased that the environmental education activities offered by local authorities under the programme are becoming more widespread every year and involve a diverse local community. Finally, we hope that the renewed National Bathing Site Quality Certificate will become a motivation and support methodology to improve environmental and safety standards in bathing site management, as there is still a lot to be done in Latvia", says Jānis Ulme, Head of the Environmental Education Foundation and the Blue Flag Programme.

Introduction of the Blue Flag criteria provides a comprehensive methodology for bathing and coastal management that takes into account environmental protection and sustainable development factors, and pays close attention to maintaining environmental quality and protecting biodiversity, thus guaranteeing safe recreation in a clean environment.

The Blue Flag Programme in Latvia is implemented by the Environmental Education Foundation (EEF), which was established to promote sustainable development through environmental education. The core activities of the EEF are related to the implementation of programmes of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE International), the world's leading environmental education organisation.