A new Legislative Work Monitoring Committee has been established to streamline Monaco’s law-making process and facilitate communication between the government and National Council.
As the result of a common wish between the Principality’s government and the National Council, the new consultation body, called the Legislative Work Monitoring Committee, has been set up to help move the wheels of law forward in a faster, more efficient way. It builds upon a similar body used back in 2009, and one of its key missions will be to strengthen the dialogue between these two major decision makers.
Prioritisation and coordination
Monaco is moving fast, regularly introducing new or revised laws to its books. Thus, choosing which ones require the swiftest action and priority has become a complex task. This is a role the Legislative Work Monitoring Committee will now take on.
“We must better coordinate ourselves to work better in the service of the common good; this is all the more necessary since, as you know, important deadlines are coming our way,” said Minister of State Pierre Dartout to the National Council earlier this year.
Two meetings of the Legislative Work Monitoring Committee have already taken place, helping direct the National Council’s objectives and talks during the spring session, which begins in a few short days.
The results were solid, with both sides – the government and the National Council – agreeing to methods of organisation and operation, as well as which topics were to be given precedence. The flurry of activity has ensured the spring session will be busy, particularly as the government has said it anticipates several bills, currently awaiting review, will be registered for the agenda at the upcoming Council meetings.
Moneyval recommendations on the immediate agenda
In addition to the backlog, the government intends to present several bills intended to address the recommendations of January’s Moneyval anti-money laundering report, which showed Monaco was not entirely where it should be in terms of risk management. This is something the government is keen to rectify.
In an official communiqué, the government has stated, “Legislative work in this area will be very technically demanding and will require total coordination between the two institutions to achieve the objective that the Principality will have a legal framework in line with international standards by the end of the spring session.”
The Jardin de l’Arménie, the slice of greenery at the edge of Nice’s Carré d’Or, will look very different by the end of this year.
Sandwiched between the more famous Jardin Albert Ier and Le Méridien, the Jardin de l’Arménie is Nice’s oldest public park. It’s hard to say when the park first opened, but Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi says it was already a tree-lined space enjoyed by locals and visitors before the Paillon River was covered over in the 1860s.
Now this little haven, which borders the Avenue de Suède and its luxury boutiques to the north, the Avenue de Verdun to the east and the four-star Le Méridien to the west, is set to receive a much-needed lift in order to better integrate the park with the general redevelopment of the area.
In total, 97 trees of varying heights will be planted, providing a cool and shady space for inhabitants and tourists to rest in solace from the sun. Mediterranean species of trees, along with shrubs and native flowers, will cover the southern end of the garden, while more exotic varieties will be found on the north side.
An homage to an Armenian legacy
Sculptures, including one of Charles Aznavour (1924-2018), will be erected in the park to honour the lives lost in the Armenian genocide.
“Our region is the oldest land of welcome for this community and 6,000 people [of Armenian origin] live in Nice,” Estrosi told local press on launching the project. “The park is a symbol of the relations of friendship and solidarity that have existed between our city and Armenia for more than a century.”
The plans will make the space not just beautiful, but useful as well. According to Estrosi, the planting scheme will help soak up two tonnes of CO2 each year.
The sidewalks and pedestrian zones that encircle the park will be repaved, meaning that a total footprint of 10,000 square metres will be renovated during the project. The current taxi rank and kiosk will be moved to a different location.
The works are expected to be completed by the end of 2023 and will cost €3.85 million.
Mike James’ return for AS Monaco Basketball against Limoges on Sunday coincided with the team’s first loss in 11 fixtures (83-76).
James’ (seven points) return from suspension wasn’t a winning one. Seven of the Roca Team’s victories during their 10-game streak came without the American point guard, but a late capitulation on Sunday brought an end to that run.
Sasa Obradovic announced after Monaco’s victory over Valencia on Friday, which guaranteed qualification for the Euroleague playoffs, that James would make his return in the Betclic Elite against Limoges.
The Roca Team manager said that they “needed his quality, especially with the games coming up.” And whilst James showed glimpses of brilliance, it wasn’t enough for the victory.
A 12-point lead squandered
Monaco took the ascendancy in the second quarter, and at one point (61-49), had a 12-point lead over their Betclic Elite opponents, who beat them during the first half of the season at the Salle Gaston Médecin. Limoges didn’t look capable of repeating that feat, but a dominant fourth-quarter display (28-15) allowed them to overturn their deficit, and dominate in money time in order to secure the victory (83-76).
The victory brings Limoges within one victory of the playoff places, whilst defeat for Monaco does little to hinder their quest for the end-of-season playoffs. They remain three victories ahead of Boulogne-Levallois, a lead which they can extend during the Parisian side’s visit to the Principality on 2nd April.
Before that, Monaco have two Euroleague clashes. They first travel to Kaunas before a trip to Munich on Friday, with the Roca Team looking to consolidate their place in the top four.
The ongoing fuel shortages felt across France have prompted local authorities in Nice and Cannes to close two service stations to all but priority vehicles.
The Total Relais Parc Impérial station located at 29 bis Avenue Paul Arène in Nice and the Total Relais Cannes Riou station at 57 Boulevard du Riou in Cannes have been strictly reserved for “priority” professions.
Those able to use these two service stations include: health care workers; public service workers such as those working in civil security, the police, the gendarmerie and customs ; maintenance and safety operators for Enedis, RTE and EDF; La Poste; funeral services; and taxis.
The decree will remain in place until Wednesday 29th March, but could be extended if needed.
As the superyacht industry navigates its way toward a sustainable future, the experts at Northrop and Johnson explain how the company is leading the way with its Responsible Yachting Strategy.
There is no escaping the fact that a superyacht can have a detrimental effect on the ocean, yet the ocean is the yachting industry’s biggest ally – both for its livelihood and in mitigating climate change. In a realm that has traditionally been somewhat detached from sustainability, the superyacht industry has typically been driven by luxury and exclusivity.
But with this comes a cost. Whether it is the fossil fuels burned while underway or the fuel that powers the generators, the maintenance or even the provisioning, a great deal goes into the superyacht experience, all of which has a negative environmental impact. However, with so much focus on the environment and the world’s oceans, it is now increasingly rare to find any player in the industry that is not combating the issue of sustainability. From the yacht’s build and design to the brokerage houses, the supertanker of yachting is increasingly turning in the direction of eco-responsibility.
The pace for change for more eco-responsible yachting is increasing considerably with every new yacht built, with clients more concerned than ever to leave the ocean clean for their children and grandchildren to enjoy. Optimising propulsion, engines and hull design, and continuous advances in technology, are potentially the most important developments happening in the yachting industry.
Short term, building yachts with more efficient hull designs is something that the majority of shipyards are doing. Working on a yacht’s hull optimisation will ensure that a hull is more fuel efficient and therefore also overall energy efficient. A slender displacement type hull or multihull yacht, for example, will have less resistance while cruising and therefore less propulsion required and therefore less fuel.
Solar panels in the main salon of a sustainably yacht, photo courtesy Northrop and Johnson
Solar power, wind power, hybrid propulsion systems and hydrogen fuel cell technology have also become a primary focus for many shipyards looking for alternatives to using traditional internal combustion engines for power generation.
Of course, not all these innovations are entirely new. Wind-powered yachts have been around for centuries, but wind power combined with new technologies has huge potential for the future of sailing yachts in particular, while hydrogeneration has also become more commonplace. Hybrid yacht propulsion, too, is probably the most exciting innovation in the yachting world. Although hybrid power generation has been around for a while, only relatively recently has it been used in the superyacht industry, most commonly in the form of diesel electric.
Aside from burning a lot of fossil fuel for cruising, even when static, the fuel burned by the electricity generators, provisioning, maintenance and indeed almost everything else that goes into the superyacht experience, all still have a negative environmental impact.
The last few years have seen huge advances in technological and engineering features for efficiency-enhancing solutions in this area. From occupancy-based lighting, air-conditioning sensors and heat recovery systems to LED lighting, state-of-the-art thermal insulation and HVAC systems, there are numerous ways in which energy can be conserved. Battery banks with “peak-shaving” capabilities, which avoid extra generators starting up when demand for hotel services are high, can also help lower fuel use. Added to this, wastewater treatment systems and catalytic convertors can also play their part in less pollution.
Photo courtesy Northrop and Johnson
Longer term, the industry needs to replace fossil fuels entirely and consider alternative power sources as they develop. To accommodate such future propulsion solutions, designers are future proofing new yachts for whatever energy supply will come into play – whether this is in the form of LNG (liquid natural gas), gas or hydrogen, the race for energy-efficient propulsion has sped up considerably in the past few years.
As superyacht owners and charterers become more and more conscious of the environment and their personal contribution to ocean conservation, they also require the companies that they work with to align with their values. One yachting company paving the way forward is Northrop and Johnson. The brokerage house is on an evolving journey towards becoming a more Responsible Yachting business in every way.
Over the past few years, they have taken the time to understand what is important to both clients and their people, using this insight to create their own Responsible Yachting Strategy. Dedicated to having a positive social and environmental impact, their strategy is guided by the United Nations Sustainability charter, specifically focussing on UN Sustainability Goal #14. Comprising of three pillars: the environment, the yachting community, and the people within the business, the approach is based on incremental changes and improvements. Focus areas include reducing emissions, working with partners across the supply chain, and identifying and championing a more sustainable corporate structure while informing and inspiring clients.
This article was written by Northrop and Johnson, a sponsor partner of Monaco Life.
Sailing: Pink Wave’s all-women tournament takes to water
The inaugural Women Leading and Sailing Trophy, contested by all-female regatta crews and organised by the Monaco Yacht Club’s (YCM) Pink Wave, took place over the weekend.
The Pink Wave are a group of 10 female sailors from four different countries, all of whom are members of the YCM, and have been sailing together for the past four years. Over the weekend, they organised an all-female sailing event off the shore of the Principality, bringing together the Monégasque and French sailing federations for a competitive J/70 race.
An Olympian in the flotilla
It was the Monégasque team Totally Spies that led the way for the Principality in the opening exchanges on Saturday. They competed with Swedish team Seagals for large parts of the day, whilst Etoile Pinkwave were also in the mix. The latter had 2016 British Olympic Gold medalist Saskia Clark at the helm.
The “perfect conditions,” in the words of Monaco team member Margaux Meslin, gave way to slightly choppier seas on Sunday, as winds picked up. It was the Swedish outfit KSSS who won the weekend-long event. Twinky came second, and level on points with the Monégasque team Totally Spies.
