In September 2020, the European Commission decided to set up new laws that could make beaches across Europe cleaner and help to preserve marine life. Litter has become a big problem these days, and beaches are, unfortunately, not an exception. To keep them clean, countries need to follow standardized rules that are good for both people and nature.
All EU Member States agreed that in order to consider a beach clean, it must have less than 20 items of litter for every 100 meters of coastline. The new standard will help beaches in the EU to stay clean, marking an important step to a greener and cleaner environment. The new rule is also important for tourists as no one wants to sunbathe on a dirty beach or swim in an area that has waste in the water.
Today, when choosing a hotel in Palma de Mallorca or a Barcelona hotel, more tourists check the quality of water and beaches. Local people, in their turn, also strive for the blue economy that is one of the EU’s targets. The final goal of the European Union is really ambitious zero pollution. Countries in the EU already have better waste management and reduce single-use plastics. With better recycling, the dream of producing almost no waste doesn’t look unrealistic anymore.
To turn the dream of clean beaches into reality, the Member States worked closely with the Joint Research Center. Together, they carefully analyzed data from all parts of Europe. Furthermore, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires all members of the EU to develop and implement strategies that protect and restore the marine environment.
To make the new policy more public and raise awareness, the EU started a new campaign named #EUBeachCleanup together with the European External Action Service. This campaign addresses not only residents of the European Union but also people around the world, encouraging them to protect and restore the marine environment. This new policy is in line with Goal 14.1 developed by the United Nations. According to this goal, countries must significantly reduce their marine pollution by 2025. If all countries work together for the sake of a clean environment, people around the world can enjoy tidy and safe beaches and water. Certain destinations can particularly benefit from this as they will become popular with tourists.