More Blue Flags in Italy, rising to 246. From Formia to Cattolica: here's where they are

The number of blue flags in Italy is increasing. The banner that certifies, among other things, excellent sea over the past four years, efficiency of purification and waste management, and overall territory goes this year to 246 coastal municipalities (they were 236 in 2024) and 84 tourist landings (81), for a total of 487 beaches (485), which corresponds to about 11.5% of the world's award-winning shores. This year, blue flags on lakes drop to 22, with one municipality not reaffirming the award.

Fifteen new entries and five municipalities were not reconfirmed: Liguria loses one flag and obtains 33 locations; Puglia rises to 27 awards with three new entries; with 23 blue flags there is then Calabria, which wins three new entries. This morning the award ceremony by the Foundation for Environmental Education (Fee) at the CNR headquarters in Rome in the presence of mayors. The 15 new entries in the Italian Fee blue flags are:Torino di Sangro (Abruzzo), Cariati (Calabria), Corigliano Rossano (Calabria), Cropani (Calabria), Sapri (Campania), Cattolica (Emilia Romagna), Formia (Lazio), Campofilone (Marche), Castrignano del Capo (Puglia), Margherita di Savoia (Puglia), Pulsano (Puglia), San Teodoro (Sardinia), Messina (Sicily), Nizza di Sicilia (Sicily), Marciana Marina (Tuscany). The five municipalities not reconfirmed are Capaccio Paestum (Campania), Ceriale (Liguria), San Maurizio d'Opaglio (Piedmont), Ispica (Sicily) and Lipari (Sicily).

The Blue Flag is awarded on the basis of the Programme's 32 criteria, which are periodically updated in order to encourage participating local administrations to commit themselves to solving, and improving over time, problems related to land management in order to carefully safeguard the environment, explains Fee Italy, which is part of the international NGO Foundation for Environmental Education.

"This year we asked municipalities to draw up and submit a Sustainability Action Plan, with the activities implemented and planned for the three-year period 2025-2027," explains Claudio Mazza, president of the Fee Italia Foundation. There are five objectives identified for the three-year period 2025-27: Sustainable Mobility; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Life on Earth; Life Under Water; and Combating Climate Change.

Among the indicators considered are: the existence and degree of functionality of purification plants; the percentage of sewage connections; waste management; accessibility; bathers' safety; care of urban and beach furniture; sustainable mobility; environmental education; enhancement of naturalistic areas; initiatives promoted by Administrations to improve liveability during the summer period. Nor should we forget the awareness-raising action undertaken so that municipalities carry out a certification process of their institutional activities and of the tourist facilities that insist on their territory.