The Monaco Monitor

The President of the French Senate, Christian Poncelet, has just completed a two-day official visit to Monaco. This was the second time that the number two from the French State has visited the Principality in order to meet the high authorities from the State of Monaco and discover its institutions. Christian Poncelet was received by the Minister of State, Jean-Paul Proust as well as the President of the National Council and during his visit expressed his satisfaction with regard to the close relations established between France and the Principality. Amongst the matters discussed, the President of the Senate raised the issue of French citizens in Monaco, the number of which has been steadily decreasing. He wanted to discuss the problem of taxation, which is in part responsible for this situation. Christian Poncelet also announced his intention to create a “friendship group linking French Senators to members of the Monaco Parliament” in the near future. On 12th July, the President of the French Senate also met H.S.H. Prince Albert II, one year to date after his accession. This provided the ideal opportunity for Christian Poncelet to convey a personal message to the Sovereign on behalf of President Jacques Chirac. 

In Monaco, the disabled and individuals with reduced mobility are able to enjoy all the pleasures of the beach in Larvotto, thanks to specially adapted amenities and trained staff. This is the sixth consecutive year that Handiplage has been open at no charge to residents and tourists, whether 10 or 90 years old. For the first time this year, the Monaco Government has partnered up with the Club Service Soroptimist, which originally created the site. Activities are led by a team of three qualified seasonal workers, headed by a team leader. The initiative is part of the Government policy, developed over the last few months, to the benefit of the disabled and under the Department of Social Affairs and Health. 

However, the Club Service Soroptimist is continuing its support, particularly as far as parking facilities are concerned, by offering all visitors to Handiplage 3 hours free parking. Public car parks have been adapted to make access to the beach easier in wheelchairs, particularly electric ones. In effect, disabled individuals are taken care of as soon as they arrive on the beach. They are accompanied onto the Larvotto beach jetty, specially fitted out a few months ago by the Department of Urban Planning. All individuals are given assistance according to their wishes, either for getting into the water or for using one of the three sea access aids available. Monitoring is provided until individuals are back in their wheelchairs after swimming. Such a system provides undeniable psychological support. 

Professor Denis Allemand, Scientific Director of the Scientifc Centre of Monaco and Professor of Biology in the University of Nice – Sophia Antipolis, has just been nominated corresponding member of the European Academy of Science, Art and Humanities (Academia Europea). The European Academy, a non-governmental organisation founded in 1988 following the initiative of various European ministers of research, groups together fellow members of the Academies of Science and Letters within various European countries, as well as Nobel prize winners and a certain number of corresponding members chosen for the quality of their work. To date, the Academy groups together almost 2000 experts from 53 countries across the world, including 38 winners of the Nobel prize. It maintains close relations with UNESCO as well as various national and inter-governmental organisations. The role of the European Academy is to lend advice to national research agencies, to promote excellence within the various disciplines of Science, Art and Humanities, to foster international and interdisciplinary research, as well as to encourage the circulation of science amongst a wide sector of the public. 

Set up by the Commission for Franco-Monegasque Cooperation on 31st January 2005, the Commission in charge of local matters regarding transborder cooperation between the Principality of Monaco and the French Republic, met for the first time in Monaco on 13th July 2006, in order to define a methodological framework for future communal action. The Commission was presided over by the honourable Jean-Paul Proust, Minister of State, for Monaco and co-presided over by Serge Telle, Ambassador of France in Monaco together with Pierre Breuil, Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, for France.
During this first meeting, various issues were raised concerning rail, road and maritime transport (frequency of TER between Nice and Ventimiglia, signature of the declaration of public utility regarding the future descending tunnel, sea shuttle project …), as well as health, research, the environment and economic development of the Riviera. A date at the beginning of September has already been fixed for a meeting between the various task forces specialized in each of the above fields, in order that further thought and appropriate action through a joint discussion on the various topics can be carried out during the first meeting. 

It was on the terraces of «Villa Miani», decorated and adorned with flowers in the colours of the Principality, that the Ambassador of Monaco to the Holy See, together with his wife, welcomed guests to a reception hosted on the occasion of H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince’s anniversary of accession on 10th July 2006. Showing their friendship to the Prince and his family, as well as to the Principality by attending the occasion, were several civil and religious VIPs : the honourable René Novella, Secretary of State, with his wife, Miss Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy, Monsignor Gabriele Caccia, Assessor of general affairs for the Secretary of State, Monsignor Tommaso Caputo, Chief of Protocol, the Ambassadors of France, Italy, the United States, Great Britain, Israel, Morocco, Poland, Greece, Iraq and other countries accredited to the Holy See, in addition to the honourable Henri Fissore, Ambassador of Monaco in Italy, together with his wife. Various friends of Monaco also took part in the event. The event, a symbol of great amity, enabled its participants to express their warmest wishes of health and happiness to H.S.H. Prince Albert II, members of the Prince’s Family and the people of Monaco, as well as to wish the Principality much prosperity in the future. 

International side, Monaco Telecom goes well and carries out 50% of its sales turnover abroad. Thus, Monaco is present in Afghanistan, in Kosovo and in Tunisia. But topicality, it is especially the agreement signed with “One air” service company of telephony mobile GSM and GPRS on the aircraft (subsidiary company of Airbus) which trusted Monaco Telecom to develop its terrestrial infrastructures. Noting that this same company had preliminary signed some agreements with giants of aviation such as Air France, BMI (England) and (Portugal). A good bargain that should prove to be lucrative for the company. The company Monegasque does not stop there and contributes already to gain a new contract in Burkina-Faso like in Tunisia (possible installation of Wimax technology). In short, at the national level the currency is: the customer initially, at international the company works with the radiation of the Principality out of its borders! 

From now on, the Principality adopted the electronic passport. People living in Monaco are delivered since late 2005 exclusively with electronic passports and this is a real success. The said passport was established in accordance with the O.A.C.I - Organisation de l’Aviation Civile Internationale (International Civil Airforce Department). These passports remain very practical, indeed people possessing these kind of passports delivered between September 1, 1999 to October 25, 2005 are exempted (more…)

The Government of Monaco should propose the next Autumn to the National Councel, a law project regarding the possibility to only Monegasque citizens to become owners of their lodgings. Indeed, the real estate properties in the Principality is a very speculative market and of course very few people could buy the house of apartment they live. This is du to the current high apartments’ prices, which (more…)

The Government of Monaco recently alerted its people to the practices to follow to avoid contributing to the spread of bird flu. First of all, you should not touch wild birds especially if they are dead. If you find a dead bird, you should immediately call the Fire Brigade of Monaco (18). They are trained to intervene in such conditions. If you mistakenly touch a dead bird you should not touch your face or other (more…)

The Scientific Center of Monaco in cooperation with other French and Spanish scientific firms is involved in an important program entitled “Medchange” which is supported financially by the Agence Nationale de reserche francaise (the French National Research Agency). Its purpose is to record and monitor the sea’s temperature variations and changes to try to determine what provoked in 1999, 2003, and 2005 unusually (more…)