Filenews 6 June 2023
Cyprus ranks first, along with Malta and Luxembourg, for the purity of its bathing waters, as mentioned by the National Judge of the Blue Flag program, CYMEPA, during the award ceremony of the 79 Blue Flags that secured an equal number of beaches in our country.
The event took place at the beach "Vuppa", of the community council of Agios Tychonas, with the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Petros Xenofontos, congratulating the 77 local authorities and the two marinas that secured this year's distinction.
In his address, Mr. Xenofontos said that the Blue Flag is the most recognizable and widespread ecological symbol of quality in the world, which rewards, with strict criteria, organized beaches, which achieve high quality environmental goals.
"An important achievement for Cyprus is the fact that 77 beaches from the 123 bathing water areas and two marinas meet the criteria, resulting in being awarded with the Blue Flag this year, which is another important decoration for our country," he added.
The Minister underlined that, according to the Report prepared and sent to the European Commission for 2022, Cyprus complies with the strictest requirements of the Bathing Water Quality Management Directive and has fulfilled all obligations arising from it.
Specifically, he added, Cyprus receives a compliance rate of 99.2%, with 119 out of 120 bathing water sites classified as excellent, while only one spot has not yet been classified due to a limited number of sampling.
Thanking the Health Services, the Public Health Services, the State Laboratory, as well as CYMEPA, the members of the National Blue Flag Judge and the Local Authorities, Petros Xenofontos noted that "this effort is decisive for the protection of a valuable resource we have, the sea, as its environmental value adds to the quality of life of our fellow citizens. At the same time, it contributes substantially to the economic progress and development of our country".
Moreover, in her address, the Director of the Quality Assurance Department of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Annita Demetriadou, said that it is no coincidence that every year the beaches in Cyprus that meet the criteria of the European program "Blue Flags" increase.
"This number has increased over time through the hard work of all the actors of the program and the Local Government Authorities, without whose cooperation it would not have been possible to implement the institution in our country," he added.
Recalling that the CTO pioneered the introduction of the Blue Flag institution in Cyprus in 1994, he underlined that the choice of CYMEPA as the national administrator of the program proves to be absolutely correct, taking into account "the excellent work it has done for the recognition of the institution in Cyprus".
"As National Coordinator, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism has the Blue Flag program high on its priorities," he said and pointed out that more than €200,000 have been approved in this year's budget to Local Authorities, as part of the plan for quality and aesthetic upgrading of beaches.
The Secretary General of CYMEPA and President of the National Judge of the Blue Flags, Dr. Michalis Ierides, announced that Cyprus is in the first place of the EU countries, along with Malta and Luxembourg, in water purity, with a percentage of 100%, while in second place is Greece with a percentage of 97% and Germany 3rd, with a percentage of 94%.
He also expressed his joy that, by the end of the year, 30 years of the Blue Flag institution in Cyprus will be completed, underlining that we are on the verge of changes, as the Blue Flag map is expected to change with the reform of Local Government.
On behalf of the community of Agios Tychonas, the president of the community Pambos Charalambous said that Agios Tychonas embraced the institution from its first steps and included all its beaches in it, "not because we wanted to be first, but because we believe that the Blue Flag is the tool we need to help us upgrade the quality of our beaches".
Who did the blue flags go to?
During the ceremony, which included an artistic programme by the Cyprus Police Philharmonic, Paralimni received 19 Blue Flags, Ayia Napa 16, Agios Tychonas seven, Paphos Municipality six, Larnaka Municipality, Geroskipou Municipality, Pegeia Municipality and Neo Chorio received three Blue Flags, Limassol Municipality, Polis Chrysochous, Pentakomo, and Pyrgos, and from a Blue Flag Voroklini, Pervolia, Zygi, Parekklisia, the Municipality of Germasogeia, the Municipality of Agios Athanasios, Episkopi, Pissouri and Lemba. The Ayia Napa Marina and the Limassol Marina also secured the Blue Flag.
The ceremony ended with the raising of the Blue Flag at Vuppa beach.
CNA
