At the recent EU Acession YOUTH Exchange in Malta some of the participants joined the Maltese Green Party (Alternattiva Demokratika) for a Direct Action. They can be seen here highlighting the issue of Public Spaces becoming commercial property in all but name. Although the beach is supposedly the property of all it is threatened by concessions to sell beach equipment, bar-b-cues and occupation preventing free movement of the public.
The real issue of clean safe to bathe in beaches available to everyone slips away between poor law enforcement and lax standards. A problem common to many of our European beaches. We would like to see a high quality standard across Europe, The Blue Flag standard is a start. A standard that gives the public a right to roam, respects wildlife and yet allows beach traders to work without exploitation of themselves nor of the wilderness area that our coastal zones often are.