Positive Result On Declaration of Cabotage in France

A new piece of French legislation came to MYBA’s attention at the end of last year, known as the ‘Décret Etat d’Accueil’. This required yachts undertaking charters in French territorial waters to submit a declaration of cabotage that included details of crew employment and social security arrangements on board. 

MYBA took mmediate action, contacting the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), and it was not long before other industry associations ECPY, GEPY, PYA and IYM added their voices, along with MYBA’s French legal counsel, Ince & Co.  Several meetings with the relevant French maritime authorities and government representatives, and numerous email exchanges facilitated a better understanding of the superyacht industry and the harm that the new legislation would cause. 

These efforts finally paid off and MYBA is pleased to announce that the French authorities have agreed to remove a large portion of the yachting sector from the Décret Etat d’Accueil legislation. With immediate effect, commercial yachts complying with the new '70% rule' (and providing a statement to this effect) will no longer be required to submit a Cabotage Declaration. 

MYBA would like to thank all those involved in achieving this extremely positive result, with special gratitude to Franck Dosne, Director of the Ports of Cannes and Nice for his committed efforts. This positive result highlights the effectiveness of inter-association cooperation and the importance of joint lobbying. 

MYBA, The Worldwide Yachting Association is committed to working closely with other industry bodies and government authorities at both national and international levels to ensure the superyacht industry is treated fairly and positively, legally and fiscally. The association devotes significant time, effort and resources to staying on top of developing issues and representing the interests of the yachting industry worldwide.  

We are stronger when we work together!