Red card for sunburn

Home game for Europe - UV protection at EURO 2024 Source: BMI

At the start of the European Men's Football Championship in Germany (EURO 2024), the BfS will support fans with the "UV safe" campaign for personal UV protection. In all 10 host cities, it provides free sunscreen in dispensers in the fan zones and near the stadiums as well as information on current UV exposure, which is particularly intense in the summer months.

President of the BfS Inge Paulini: "If you're cheering on the European Championships, you're probably not thinking about protecting yourself from the sun and are at risk of getting sunburn. UV radiation is a health risk that is often underestimated. The sunscreen dispensers are intended to remind people how important it is to apply sunscreen and make it possible to put this into practice straight away." So everyone can cheer on their team outside – even on sunny days.

Dr Inge Paulini

"There is a simple rule for good personal UV protection: avoid exposure, keep covered, and use sunscreen. The first priority is to avoid harmful UV exposure – for example, by seeking shade at midday. The second most important thing is to protect your skin and eyes with long clothing, a hat, and sunglasses. Finally, from the point of view of radiation protection, sunscreen is essential for protection. The most effective UV protection is achieved with a combination of all these measures", says Inge Paulini, President of the BfS.

Regional UV measurement data for the host cities

A BfS sunscreen dispenser at the presentation in Berlin

UV radiation (ultraviolet radiation) is the main cause of skin cancer. The dispensers contain a sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) of 30. In cooperation with the host cities and those responsible for the fan miles as well as EURO 2024 GmbH, the dispensers will be maintained and refilled as required for the duration of the European Championships according to the EU Cosmetics Regulation. After the end of the European Championships, many dispensers are likely to remain in the cities. The plan is to re-use them in sports clubs or swimming pools.

The sunscreen dispensers are designed in such a way that they also inform users about the UV index. The UV index is an internationally standardised measure that indicates how intense the sun's damaging UV radiation is at the Earth's surface on a scale of 1 to 11+. Recommendations for sun protection are assigned to certain value ranges. They can also be found on the sunscreen dispensers.

In addition, the current UV index value can be called up via a QR code on the dispensers in each host city. The BfS has expanded its UV monitoring network so that UV radiation will also be measured regionally in all 10 host cities. The measurement data and further information can be found at www.bfs.de/euro24-uv-safe.