The main problem causing the defilement of Bulgaria's Black Sea beaches was not a lack of refuse bins or a failure to empty them frequently, but the behaviour of tourists, according to the Commission for Consumer Protection (CCP).

A commission spokesperson told The Sofia Echo on August 25 that a sufficient number of refuse bins had been put on the beaches and were emptied regularly, as early as possible in the morning so that they could be used.

However, for the system to work, tourists should collect their refuse and put it in the designated places.

CCP chairperson Damyan Lazarov told Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) that, after the first series of inspections of beaches by the CCP in August, 24 out of 30 beaches that had been checked would be sanctioned because they had not followed categorisation and cleanliness requirements.

Lazarov told BNR that the beach concessionaires would also have to come up to the mark in making available information to users of beaches. This was another serious issue on which concessionaires would be sanctioned, he said.

Of the 30 beaches, only six - two on the northern Black Sea coast and four on the south coast - were meeting almost all European requirements. He said that he had also noted that most concessionaires were providing space for visitors to beaches to put up umbrellas in "free zones" without having to pay for fixed umbrellas.

The sanctions for beaches that do not meet European requirements vary from 1000 to 10 000 leva depending on how often and how seriously they break the rules, according to the CCP. Fines are more likely to be higher when violations are systematic or affect a larger group of consumers.

The CCP inspections are in accordance with the Tourism Act and the ordinance regulating beaches. All beaches along the Black Sea that have lifeguards on duty would be checked, the CCP said.

Key points of inspections are the condition of the beaches and seaside food facilities and bars.

The CCP said that the checks were also linked to the Consumer Protection Act adopted by Bulgaria on June 10 2006, and which is fully co-ordinated with European Union legislation, and to further EU directives adopted in Bulgaria.

In the light of this law, the safety of services offered at beaches is also checked, as well as whether there is enough information about activities on offer at beaches.

Prices for renting umbrellas and deckchairs should be clearly visible and expressed in Bulgarian in a way that is not misleading, the CCP said. Officials also checked whether people offering massage services at beaches had the necessary certificates and licences to do so. Prices of these services had to be written clearly, in Bulgarian.

The CCP checked whether, as required, beaches had toilets every 100m.

The CCP spokesperson told The Sofia Echo that the commission was not expert in how to clean beaches, so it examined only whether a beach was clean, and not how many machines concessionaires were using to collect refuse.

The CCP spokesperson said that Bulgaria was one of the few EU member states that had achieved significant results in ensuring the safety of services on offer. One example was the ban on golf carts being rented to tourists in Slunchev Bryag (Sunny Beach) Black Sea resort. Golf cars were a hazard when used in pedestrian walkways and were banned from use anywhere other than on golf courses.

Again in the light of Consumer Protection Act rules, moped drivers had to wear helmets when driving in Black Sea beach zones.

The CCP did not have precise statistics about the number of accidents involving jetskis in 2008, although such accidents are a regular occurrence at Black Sea beaches.

In 2006 the commission imposed some requirements for using jetskis. These included wearing inflatable vests, and moreover, that those renting jetskis should be properly told how to use them. In 2006, such instructions were not given, even in major resorts such as Slunchev Bryag.

On August 21, border police and the maritime administration of Bulgaria's second-largest Black Sea city of Bourgas started checks on whether jetskis used at the nearby beaches were endangering the safety of tourists, the Interior Ministry press centre said.

Speedboats, scooters and other recreational means of transport were checked to see whether they met safety requirements.

Numerous accidents prompted the regional governor to order the inspection, which continued until August 24.

The authorities checked whether the vessels were using only water areas designated for them, where there were people swimming in these areas, as well as whether the people using the vehicles were of age and whether they had been given the necessary instructions before using the jetskis. Companies renting out such vehicles must be able to use remote control to stop the vehicles in the event of emergency. They also have to be ready to provide first aid.

Contacted by The Sofia Echo on August 26, the chief of the border police for Bourgas and Varna region Vanyo Ivanov said that as a result of the action between August 21 and 24, many warning letters had been sent to providers of jetskis at the beaches, mainly in Nessebur and Slunchev Bryag. The situation was similar for many beaches in and near Varna, Kavarna, Sozopol and Balchik, he said.

Ivanov said that the problem would be solved only when police had a legal basis to penalise people who rented out jetskis in places where people go swimming.