As part of efforts to bring Monaco up to scratch with Moneyval’s high international standards, civil companies based in the Principality are being reminded of the need to register their “beneficial owners” or face consequences down the line.
After the January 2023 Moneyval report requesting Monaco make more effort to prevent and investigate any cases of money laundering and the financing of terrorism within its borders, the Principality acted swiftly, setting up a dedicated task force and greenlighting new legislation.
As part of this new conformity drive, the government also launched a national action plan that includes an information campaign aimed at civil companies – or sociétés civiles (SC), the type of company typically used for civil, agricultural, freelance and intellectual professions – to explain the need to declare their “beneficial owners”.
WHAT IS A BENEFICIAL OWNER
The term beneficial owner relates to the person or people who directly or indirectly hold at least 25% of a company’s capital or voting rights, have control over a company by another means or are the person or people who legally represent the company, such as a managing director or manager.
HOW TO DECLARE
The request to register these individuals must be made directly to the Department of Economic Development, which is open on weekdays from 9.30am to 5pm.
The forms can be found on the government portal under the “Declaring a Beneficial Owner” section. The process is free of charge.
The authorities are reaching out to companies with reminders to prompt quick action. If they fail to comply, communications with the Court of First Instance will be initiated.
For companies already in the special register of civil companies, but without up-to-date information on beneficial owners, the Department of Economic Development is asking for those updates to be made as soon as possible.
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From a family-run vineyard producing award-winning biodynamic wines to ultra-luxe domaines in the Var, here are five of the best vineyards to visit within an hour or two’s drive from Monaco.
Côtes de Provence, a term recognised and loved by wine drinkers the world over, conjures up images of quaint bastides surrounded by lavender, olive groves and, of course, vines. The region, which extends over an area of than 200 square kilometres, is undoubtably one of the world’s most beautiful and most productive.
Did you know that an estimated 116 million bottles of wine – an impressive 47% of them organic – are produced here every year, and around 92% of these are the signature rosé of the region?
Many of the vineyards have onsite shops and tasting rooms, but some take the vineyard experience a step further. Here are a few of our favourites…
Fine dining and luxury
Château de Berne is a stunning 18th century property set amidst 515 hectares of wild and landscaped gardens. The history of wine-making at this picturesque address goes back way further, though, and traces of vine cultivation that have been found here date back to 200BC. The name Berne was established during the 18th century.
The tree-lined drive on the way up to Château de Berne. Photo via Château de Berne / Facebook
In 2021, the estate’s 370 acres of vines gained official organic certification, making it part of the growing community of wine makers in the region to move in this direction.
Château de Berne stands out, however, for its incredible setting and top-notch facilities. The château itself can cater for 20 guests, but there are also villas with private swimming pools on the estate for those looking for even more privacy. There’s a Cinq Mondes and Vinésime Spa, numerous fitness classes, a place for cooking masterclasses and 100 kilometres of hiking trails.
The domaine even has a Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Jardin de Berne led by Chef Louis Rameau, as well as several other fantastic eateries. If you’re going with a group, be sure to try L’Olivier de Berne beneath the olive trees.
The food is always excellent at L’Olivier de Berne. Photo via Château de Berne / Facebook
A place for couples
Ultimate Provence, or UP for short, is a thoroughly modern endeavour that styles itself as an eco-aware wine estate “set amid magnificent wild, mineral scenery”. Its 114 acres of vines are found in the heart of France’s largest nature reserve in La Garde-Freinet and can be visited by appointment. If you’re here to enjoy the luxurious amenities of UP, then the 15-minute tasting of the estate’s wines will give you enough insight into which bottles you’d like to take home.
Ultimate Provence is a destination that understands modern hospitality. Photo via UP / Facebook
There are lots of different accommodation options available and while we’ve picked UP as our choice for a romantic weekend away, the domaine is very family-friendly and even runs a kids club at its flagship restaurant for parents who want to enjoy their meal in peace.
Regarding fun and relaxation, the onsite Vinésime and Voya Spa is open seven days a week and there’s a beach club down on the coast near Saint Tropez that bears UP’s name.
Relax by the pool with a glass of rosé or enjoy a tipple down on Ultimate Provence’s private beach near Saint Tropez. Photo via UP / Facebook
Where to take family
If you’re looking for a place to entertain the young and the old, then Château Saint Roux in Le Cannet-des-Maures should be right at the top of your list. It’s a very active vineyard, with 99 acres that produce five different wines. Although its bottles aren’t yet certified organic, Château Saint Roux is embracing all the principles of organic farming and is well on its way to converting.
Château Saint Roux is our top pick for a family visit to a vineyard. Photo via Château Saint Roux / Facebook
There are several different types of accommodation here, from apartments and lofts to a bastide and a gîte, as well as an excellent eponymous restaurant, La Table Saint Roux led by Chef Chef Guillaume Rigaudias, that uses seasonal ingredients grown on the estate.
Its real family appeal comes from the vast range of activities on offer. Children will absolutely love the farm with its goats, rabbits, hens and even the resident miniature donkey, Idaho. There’s a stylish tasting cellar, a dairy making the most delicious fresh produce, wine discovery sessions, and even a breadmaking class.
Biodynamic and natural wines
You would be hard pressed to find a vineyard more dedicated to organic wine production than Fondugues-Pradugues. This family-owned, single-estate domaine near Ramatuelle takes an encompassingly holistic approach to its vines, without a single drop of pesticides, herbicides or allergens being used in its methods to simply “let nature do its thing”.
To make the most of the Fondugues-Pradugues experience, we highly recommend trying out Le Chai, which offers a range of tastings and gourmet meals. You can even have a picnic amongst the vines with a selection of the estate’s 2020 vintages.
The unique style of Fondugues-Pradugues’ biodynamic and organic wines. Photo via Fondugues-Pradugues / Facebook
Closest to Monaco
The final stop of our list of top vineyards to try out this summer is more of a collection of vineyards than one single address. The Bellet region on the outskirts of Nice is one of the oldest “appellation contrôlée” in France – its history of vine cultivation dates back to an incredible 600BC – and is unique in its proximity to such an urban area. Bellet covers an area of around 650 hectares, but only 50 hectares of vines are in operation today.
Although many of the vineyards here are open to the public, the best way to experience Bellet is with a tour and there’s no one better than Julia Glibova of the VinoLove Club, who runs walking tours and wine tastings.
Another way of getting to know more about the Bellet appellation is to take the Vignobles de Bellet navette bus service from the Magnan stop in Nice. The bus departs the city between 10am and 4.40pm, and stops off right outside each of the vineyards affiliated with the scheme.
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American football legend Tom Brady is the latest high-profile athlete to become a team owner in the UIM E1 World Championship.
Celebrated as one of the world’s most successful sports stars, Tom Brady now has his sights set on winning the inaugural UIM E1 World Championship – the all-new electric raceboat competition that will have a stage in Monaco in 2024.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Brady has been known throughout his career for his excellence on the field of play, holding the record for the most ever Super Bowl MVP’s (with five), winning seven Super Bowls across three decades and being named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year twice in 2005 and 2021.
He’s also behind a number of successful entrepreneurial projects in tech, fashion and film.
“UIM E1 World Championship combines several things l love – speed, intensity, being on the water, intense competition, and innovative leaders,” said Tom Brady. “I’m excited to join Rafael Nadal, Didier Drogba, and Sergio Perez, all great athletes with the same desire to compete at the highest level and work together to help make the boating industry more sustainable, create incredible events, and especially to win… My message to our competition: be prepared for second place because we are aiming for the top.”
From left to right: Alejandro Agag (Co-Founder and Chairman of UIM E1 World Championship), Sophi Horne (RaceBird Designer and Founder of SeaBird Technologies), Tom Brady and Rodi Basso (Co-Founder & CEO of UIM E1 World Championship). Credit: UIM E1 World Championship
Racing towards a sustainable future
Through his new role as team owner in the UIM E1 World Championship, Brady is looking to inspire future generations towards innovation and action for a sustainable future.
“It is an incredible privilege to welcome a sporting legend to the UIM E1 World Championship,” said Rodi Basso, Co-Founder and CEO of UIM E1 World Championship. “But for Tom Brady, it’s not just about his sporting legacy and success, he wants to leave a positive impact and inspire the next generation, which resonates so much with our DNA at the UIM E1 World Championship.
“Tom is also super enthusiastic about the design, technology, and performance behind our RaceBirds. But as important as racing is our commitment to sustainability and social impact, and Tom is very passionate about the planned Acceleration Festivals at our races, which will showcase start-ups and developments in the clean tech industries everywhere we go. Tom is so aligned with our principles and vision for sport and impact.”
The eagerly anticipated first season of the UIM E1 World Championship is scheduled to get underway in early 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In the coming months, championship organizers will continue to accelerate preparations for the inaugural season, with races set to take place in Venice, Monaco, and Rotterdam, with more venues due to be announced soon.
A new exhibition is revealing how innovative Prince Rainier III was in his post-war strategy for Monaco, how revolutionary his urban planning approach was, and how he was driven by a single ambition: to guarantee the prosperity and well-being of Monegasques.
The exhibition, launched on Thursday 30th July, will be held until 31st December at the Quai Antoine 1er Exhibition Hall in Monaco.
It’s been organised by the Department of Cultural Affairs and is devoted to Prince Rainier III, the Prince Builder, organised as part of the celebrations for the centenary of his birth.
The curation of this retrospective exhibition was entrusted to Stéphane Bern, journalist, writer, TV presenter, radio host, producer and actor, and to Christian Curau, architect-curator of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco.
The exhibition, titled ‘Rainier III, the Builder Prince – an Ambition for Monaco’, highlights how, as a visionary, Prince Rainier III propelled a post-war Principality into an era of economic prosperity, urban development and territorial expansion.
This strategy gave the Principality new infrastructure and political, legal and constitutional tools that enabled the building of a modern state.
This exhibition shows how Prince Rainier III was focussed on both historical continuity and innovation.
Michael: The Magic of Michael Jackson starring the supremely talented Ben Bowman will take over the Salle des Etoiles this Friday for the totally sold out Fight AIDS Monaco Gala.
Monaco plays host to many galas and events, but few promise the theatre and emotion of the next show in the Monte-Carlo Summer Festival line-up, Michael: The Magic of MichaelJackson, which is also acting as the stage for the Fight AIDS Gala on Friday 21st July.
The red-hot production, which has been touring for several years and features the astonishing Ben Bowman in the lead role, will dazzle audiences as he performances some of the icon’s greatest hits, including Thriller, Man in the Mirror, Billie Jean and Beat It.
He seamlessly slides into the role and has honed his skills to not just look and sound like the King of Pop, but to mimic his movements to the point that audiences forget it’s not the man himself on stage before them.
More than a tribute, it is a chance to recapture a moment otherwise lost in time, an age when this talented musician reigned supreme over the pop world.
CHARITY ASPECT
The concert forms the entertainment part of the annual Fight AIDS Gala event, which in itself is a mix of philanthropy and glamour in the oh-so elegant setting of the Salle des Etoiles.
Fight AIDS Monaco was founded in 2004 by Princess Stephanie of Monaco, whose deep compassion prompted her to find a way to help people living with HIV and AIDS. Many suffer daily with pain, depression, isolation and discrimination, and her organisation is committed to serving these people with dignity and sensitivity.
Fight AIDS Monaco touches lives in the Principality and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, as well as farther afield via cooperative efforts undertaken with organisations around the world.
The sold-out gala starts at 8pm with a dinner, followed at 10.30pm by Michael: The Magic of Michael Jackson.
What do you get when you cross a cruise liner with a superyacht? The brand new Evrima, the first seaborne venture from the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection that will be heading for the Principality of Monaco next week.
The eagle-eyed will have noticed a new boat in town in recent days: the glimmering, dark-hulled Evrima from the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
The luxury liner – although it’s hard to distinguish whether the Evrima is more cruise ship or megayacht – cast off anchor at the end of last year and is now spending its first summer cruising the Mediterranean.
It was most recently in the French Riviera when it picked up a fresh batch of passengers from the port of Nice on 15th July, before heading along the coast to Cannes and later Calvi and Ajaccio in Corsica. After a pit stop in the Balearic Islands, the Evrima will wind up its current trip in Barcelona at the weekend.
The next voyage leaves the Catalonian capital on 22nd July for Rome 11 nights later, but not without stopping off in Monaco for two nights on 28th and 29th July.
The Evrima will be docking in Monaco at the end of July. Photo credit: Juliette Remi
All about the Evrima
Named for the Greek word for “discovery”, the 25,400 tonnage, eight deck Evrima was completed in 2021. She measures 190 metres in length and 23.8 metres at her widest.
There’s space enough for 298 guests and almost as many crew and service staff. Some 50,000 employees from across the Ritz-Carlton Group are reported to have applied for one of the 250 jobs onboard, meaning that only the very best in service, hospitality and skill will be working aboard the prestigious vessel.
Just shy of 150 guest suites, each with an outdoor terrace, are available. Two are classed as “Owner’s suites” and are the ultimate in seagoing luxury, measuring 160 square metres.
There are five restaurants and six lounge spaces on the ship as well as fitness centres, a spa with outdoor terrace, a hairdressing and beauty salon, a kids centre, an outdoor swimming pool complex, meeting rooms, a wine tasting zone and a boutique.
A pool with an ocean view. Photo credit: Jack Hardy*
All in all, the Evrima is a clever combination of private superyacht and all-inclusive cruise ship, giving it appeal to those who don’t own a yacht but dream of experiencing the lifestyle, and those who simply don’t want the fuss of maintaining or managing their own boat.
How much does it cost?
Prices for the recent Nice to Barcelona seven-night voyage started at €8,750, while the longer trip from northeastern Spain to the Italian capital has spaces from €12,588. The most expensive cruise this summer is an island-hopping journey from Istanbul to Athens over 11 nights. Tickets start at €15,412.
It’s a similar story next summer, with the Evrima trips stopping over in Monaco and the south of France amongst the best value for money. The full itinerary for next year can be found here.
All suites benefit from a private outdoor terrace. Photo courtest of Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection*
Between now and then, the Evrima will cross the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean for the winter season.
The Ritz-Carlton fleet is also set to grow next year with the release of the Ilma sometime in 2024. This ship will be even bigger than the first, and will almost certainly ride the waves the Evrima is already making in the sailing holiday industry.
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