European Commission
Yacht Linked to Russian Oligarch Leaves Barcelona
A superyacht linked to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich left Barcelona on Tuesday where it had been undergoing repairs in a local shipyard, ship-tracking data showed.The 140-meter (460-foot) My Solaris, which sails under a Bermuda flag according to monitoring site Marine Traffic, left Spanish company MB92's Barcelona shipyard just after 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) on Tuesday, according to the same site. MB92 declined to comment.The superyacht, which was built in a German shipyard and first took to the sea early last year, is one of a string of yachts owned by Abramovich…
Midsummer Meddling
France’s attitude to superyachts these days is rich with ironies. The official talk is of an era of redressement, or “putting right” the former state of affairs including public finances. But that has so far not translated into a reversal of its policy of VAT exemption for commercial yachts (FCE) – at least not officially. National austerité or riguer aside, the European Commission has demanded the change and is suing France at the European Court of Justice to enforce it. Meanwhile, this is proving to be a busy summer in the Mediterranean for the Douanes, France’s customs and excise service.
