The EU has committed to funding ocean protection actions to the tune of €816.5 million at the Our Ocean Conference in Panama held this week, one of the biggest amounts the bloc has ever pledged to the cause.
The 2023 Our Ocean Conference was held in Panama on 2nd and 3rd March to much ado. Organised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO) and chaired by climatologist and oceanographer Vladimir Ryabinin, the event drew attention for speaking out on relevant themes and solid action-taking stances by participants.
One such participant was the EU, who pledged a massive €816.5 million sum to 39 action plans for the year 2023. The funding will go to initiatives and activities involving marine protected areas, marine pollution, climate change, sustainable fishing, blue economy projects and maritime security.
Broken down, it means that €320 million has been earmarked for research into protecting marine biodiversity and the impacts of climate change on the seas. These funds will help develop the Digital Twin of the Ocean, which uses historical data to predict future events, and implement the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance. It will also support the objectives of the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030′, which has set targets that include the cleaning-up of marine and fresh waters, restoring degraded ecosystems and habitats, and decarbonising the blue economy.
Another €250 million will be dedicated to the satellite launch of Sentinel-1C, an instrumental asset offering real-time observations of the icebergs and melts of the Arctic region.
A further €126 million will be sent to fight climate change in Benin, Guyana and Tanzania. Regional fishery management organisations (RFMOs) will benefit from €24 million, and the remaining €1 million will go to World Trade Organisation fishing subsidies projects to support developing nations.
Progress on the EU’s plans resulting from the conference can be tracked on a commitment tracking tool found here.
SBM Offshore’s Single Buoy Moorings Research Office has become the Principality’s first entity to be part of Horizon Europe, the EU’s co-funding programme for research and innovation with a focus on sustainability and climate change issues.
With a budget of €95.5 billion, Horizon Europe is paving the way for companies with ground-breaking ideas and environmentally minded bents to do business together in the EU.
Despite Monaco not being an EU member, local companies can participate in the scheme if they are partnered with a legal European entity. This is the case for the Monaco-based SBM Offshore Single Buoy Moorings Research Office, who was selected by the government to take part in the scheme in partnership with European Scalable Complementary Offshore Renewable Energy Sources (SCORES).
They will be working together under the directive of the ‘Societal Change: Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy’ project, launched last September and piloted by Dutch Marine Energy Centre, which brings together 17 partners from 10 nations, Monaco included.
“The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges. It supports creating and the better dispersing of excellent knowledge and technologies,” the European Commission website explains.
Their task is to demonstrate the efficient use of offshore renewable resources and how they are one of the keys to Europe’s energy transition, creating long-term low carbon and carbon free options for the public. SBM Offshore’s aim here is to develop its experience in the renewable energy market – whether it be solar, wind or wave energies – and to refine them for general use.
The budget for the SBM Offshore project is €45 million, with €34 million subsidised by the EC’s programme, but there are a few small catches. The companies involved must demonstrate “measurable goals within a set timeframe” and be willing to openly share all data and findings collected.
Monaco Life journalist Stephanie Horsman is on a quest to find the finest brunch spots in the Principality.
Growing up in Southern California, Sunday brunch was almost a religion. The whole family piled into the car and headed out to face what usually turned out to be a massive buffet that couldn’t quite decide whether it was breakfast or lunch, but was always a popular event where everyone got to eat exactly what they wanted.
It was in this vein that the idea came about that “brunching” is a serious gourmet art, always different and ultimately satisfying. In Monaco, as we all know, art is taken very seriously so the next time a free block of time crops up on a Sunday morning, head to one of these hot spots for a masterpiece of a meal…
Italian Pasticceria Cova
Cova on Boulevard des Moulins is known for its mouth-watering pastries and intimate Italian café vibe, so it’s exciting to see the Flavio Briatore-led team branch out into the brunch scene. That classic Italian hospitality and Piedmont-sourced produce comes together on a Sunday to create a cosy, delicious experience that will easily banish the winter blues.
Big appetites are well catered for thanks to a three-course table service menu that starts with coffee, freshly pressed juice and pastries, followed by a selection of classic breakfast dishes such as pancakes with maple syrup and fresh strawberries, or eggs with bacon. Then the lunch part of brunch kicks in, and a choice of the Chef’s Sunday pasta, beef tenderloin carpaccio, oozy burrata with tomatoes or Cova’s bacon cheeseburger are all on offer.
But what brunch wouldn’t be complete without sparkling? Cova do it Italian-style, so the whole brunch comes with endless bubbles of the finest prosecco. We recommend the Franciacorta Ca’ del Bosco. Prices are very reasonable, ranging from 75€ to 95€ per person, depending on the choice of prosecco. Oh, and kids are more than welcome, so why not make it a family affair?
Endless Prosecco bubbles are a highlight of brunch at Cova, photo provided
Mozza, a Riccardo Giraudi restaurant
A perennial favourite with the added bonus of live performances, Mozza’s Sunday Jazz Brunch is hard to beat. For €59, patrons can choose from a vast selection of temptations with an Italian twist served with that classic aperitif, the Aperol Spritz. Pizza, focaccia and pasta sit alongside cheeses and charcuterie, while fish and roasted meat dishes bring a more substantial lunchtime offering to the plate. A dedicated egg station serves up uovain a variety of made-to-order ways: omelette, scrambled, hard boiled or even fried with mouth-watering additions like bacon, cheese, onions, mushrooms and even chilli.
Dessert doesn’t disappoint either, with an outlay featuring freshly prepared pancakes and waffles, cakes, brioches, tarts and – of course – tiramisu. For healthy eaters, there is also a seasonal fruit salad. Children, meanwhile, will want to come back every week for the beautifully fluffy candyfloss.
Brunch at Mozza in Monaco, photo courtesy Mozza
Jazz Brunch at the Fairmont Monte-Carlo
Over at the Fairmont Monte-Carlo, brunch is kicked up a notch with a Sunday Jazz Brunch menu at the Lobby Lounge for €115, complete with wine and champagne. For those preferring to abstain, the cost is €85. Held every Sunday from 12.30pm to 4.30pm, the carte is indulgent. Seconds are sure to be in order. The pastries and sweets tray are very good too; a treat for the eyes and the belly.
A major plus here is that children are well served. Those six to 12 years of age can eat to their heart’s content for €42 and under-fives are free. There is even a Kids Club with babysitter so tinier tots can be entertained while mum and dad feast away. Reservations are recommended as this is a popular weekend destination.
Multi Michelin starred chef Yannick Alléno at his Pavyllon restaurant at the Hôtel Hermitage. Photo by Monaco Life
Pavyllon by Yannick Alléno
The jewel in the crown of Monaco brunching is to be found at the Hôtel Hermitage’s Pavyllon restaurant. It is called the “Parisian Brunch par excellence”, which is almost an understatement for this uber-elegant offering by multi Michelin-starred Chef Yannick Alléno.
Between 11am and 3.30pm, and for €135, a selection of fresh pastries await as guests sit down, followed by a creative menu offering eggs made to order and Côte d’Azur-inspired dishes like the “Goodwich”, a warm gougère chouxpastry filled with cheese and accompanied by jambon de Paris. Desserts are equally appetising, with the soufflé pancake laced with Grand Marnier being the top choice for those in the know.
What do you think of our brunch choices in Monaco? Comment on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. For suggestions on what you would like us to cover in our new Best Of series, email us at info@monacolife.net!
Tensions and pressure dissipated on Thursday as AS Monaco Basketball ended a poor run of form with a deserved victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv (86-67).
The Roca Team headed into the game off the back of consecutive defeats. Not only that, their most recent defeat, at the hands of Barcelona in the Euroleague, brought tensions to the surface, with Mike James and Sasa Obradovic coming to blows.
A win against their Israeli opponents at the Salle Gaston Médecin was a must, not just for morale, but also to reassert their playoff credentials. Monaco started the game well enough, registering 30 points in the opening quarter to create a healthy 13-point buffer.
Chima Moneke becoming a fan favourite
However, that lead was wiped out with the Roca Team failing to score in the opening five minutes of the second quarter. Nerves began to jangle, and that early-game optimism had dissipated, giving way to stunned silence amongst the Roca Team fans.
Monaco and Maccabi began matching each other blow-for-blow, and it required a late show of force to get the job done in front of the home support. Chima Moneke (nine points), who was signed to replace the outgoing Adrien Moerman in January, has quickly established himself as a fan favourite and injected some much-needed energy in the dying stages, which was ultimately decisive.
Jordan Loyd (18 points) continued his good form, whilst Elie Okobo (11 points) helped to ease pressure in key moments. James (12 points, six assists) is slowly re-discovering his best form, but is doing so without the burden of having to carry the team on his shoulders.
Monaco ruthlessly dispatched Maccabi in the final quarter (28-8) to bounce back (86-67) from a recent poor run of form, which had threatened to derail the team’s push for the playoffs.
“It was a great victory,” began Sasa Obradovic. “It is great to have this kind of success, in particular with the way that we played. It is a victory that gives us confidence going forward. Moneke’s contribution was crucial. From the moment he came on, everything went our way,” he continued.
Monaco next face Nanterre in the Betclic Elite on Sunday before returning to Euroleague action against Panathinaikos on Wednesday.
France’s civil aviation authority, the DGAC, has called for the cancellation of hundreds of flights next week as part of the nationwide strikes against proposed plans to reform the pensions system. Nice is among the airports most heavily affected.
As many as 30% of flights out of Nice are facing the threat of cancellation on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th March.
On Thursday 2nd March, the Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC) asked airlines present in 11 of the country’s biggest airports to review their plans for next week in light of the strikes, which are likely to see participation from several of the air controller unions.
The DGAC has asked Paris Charles-de-Gaulle to scale back flights by 20% and by 30% at Paris Orly, Beauvais, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice and Toulouse.
It warns that delays and disruptions should also be expected to the remaining schedule.
Travellers due to fly on these days should check the status of their upcoming flight with their airline.
The Monaco Life journalists behind the headlines this week talk Monaco real estate, whisky investment and passion spending habits, binge watching Netflix’s new Drive to Survive series, Monaco football club management becoming a Russian family affair, and how we figured out which F1 drivers actually live in Monaco.
Featuring Editor in Chief: Cassandra Tanti, Editor and Journalist Elsa Carpenter, News and Lifestyle Journalist Stephanie Horsman, and Sports Journalist Luke Entwistle.
To listen to the podcast, simply click play in the box below…
