Tourist docks must meet a number of criteria related to environmental information, education and management, safety and services as well as water quality.
Each year the dock must set itself two objectives, chosen from a list of 18. These goals range from energy savings to the replacement of obsolete equipment or separate recycling, and are divided into seven macro-items: electricity, water, use of products, waste, information, health and safety and other objectives.
The Blue Flag is awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), an international non-governmental non-profit organisation present in over 30 countries.