A Monegasque free zone in Nice: Éric Ciotti’s proposal to the Principality
Eric Ciotti is targeting the Éco-Vallée district north of Nice Airport for his proposed free zone.
Éric Ciotti is putting forward the idea of a business area in the Alpes-Maritimes where Monegasque companies could benefit from the same tax advantages as in the Principality.
The president of the France-Monaco friendship group at the French National Assembly and Nice municipal election candidate made a simple observation: around 25,000 Nice residents are among the 40,000 Alpes-Maritimes workers who commute to Monaco every day. Their journeys cause major bottlenecks around the Principality. “It’s an idea that should be pursued and should prosper, as it would enable growth on both sides of the border,” Éric Ciotti said on TVMonaco.
Éco-Vallée in the spotlight
A candidate to succeed Christian Estrosi, Éric Ciotti is now targeting the Var plain, currently home to Éco-Vallée, a project launched in 2005, to establish this free zone. “We think it is a very good idea. Monaco’s economy needs to grow by 1,000 jobs a year,” Philippe Ortelli, President of FEDEM, told TVMonaco, seeing it as an opportunity for Monegasque companies and their French employees.
For Fabrice Notari of Monaco’s National Council, this alternative to the costly and unlikely metro between Nice and Monaco must nonetheless guarantee comparable fiscal and social conditions.