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Contractual Insights in Yacht Design # 1: VARIATIONS

Variations in Interior & Exterior Design: a shared challenge Within yacht projects, one of the most sensitive issues concerns design variations in interiors and exteriors. These are often not limited to minor tweaks. Indeed, they often entail rethinking concept design, layouts, materials, color combinations, style, furniture or finishes, or even restyling exterior features. What might […]

What happens if you purchase a vessel lacking CE requirements?

Introduction The EU Directive 2013/53/EU requires that all vessels between 2.5 and 24 meters shall comply with strict standards for stability, safety, structural resistance and environmental impact. Without CE marking, a yacht cannot legally be sold or used in EU waters. Therefore, CE requirements are not only a formality, but a real passport of legality […]

The fine line between temporary admission regime and importation

Introduction The regime of temporary admission is commonly used in the yachting industry, because it allows non-EU goods (i.e., yachts flying extra EU flags) to be introduced into the customs territory of the European Union for a limited period of time of eighteen months (the so-called “period of discharge”), with total exemption from import duties […]

Exemption from excise duty on fuel – clarifications from the Italian Customs Agency

For charters of pleasure yachts, the exemption from excise duty on fuel does not apply, since the vessel’s use by the charterer or lessee is recreational, not commercial.   Italian Customs Agency clarification In Circular No. 26/2025, the Italian Customs Agency clarified that: The exemption from excise duty on fuel, pursuant to the Ministry of Economy and Finance Decree No. 225 of […]

Buying a business jet in Italy

Legal Framework and Competent Authorities Purchasing or selling an aircraft registered in the Italian Civil Aviation Registers requires an extensive knowledge of the Italian Navigation Code (“INC”) – which includes a specific section on navigation by air –, as well as of the special legislation at EU level and of the international conventions governing all […]

Selling an Aircraft in Europe and Monaco in 2025: A Legal, Tax and Transactional Guide

Selling a business aircraft in Europe or Monaco in 2025 involves a layered process that blends international tax and Customs planning with transactional discipline: title transfer, due diligence, payment structuring, and regulatory compliance must all be synchronized. From the aircraft’s location to the buyer’s tax status, each variable can materially affect the outcome. In this […]

No Compensation for Damages If the Lawyer Makes Mistake But the Case Would Have Been Lost In Any Case

A company sued its lawyer and its accountant before the Court of Rome, seeking a declaration of their professional liability for tax‑related advisory services and asking that they be held jointly and severally (or, in the alternative, pro rata) liable for the damages allegedly suffered. After reviewing all the documents filed in the proceedings, the judge […]

Distribution of Unit-Linked Insurance Policies: Diligence, Transparency and Proper Disclosure

In the placement of unit-linked insurance policies[1], distributors are required to provide policyholders with clear and complete information — in a word, transparent. That is, the client — particularly if a retail investor[2] — must be put in a position to fully understand the characteristics of the product they are about to sign up for […]

VAT and Extra-EU Use of Pleasure Yacht – Clarifications from the Italian Revenue Agency

Introduction and Regulatory Background In the yacht-leasing sector, Italian VAT law lays down a special regime for pleasure yacht used outside the European Union. Under Article 7-sexies(1)(e-bis) of Presidential Decree No 633/1972 (introduced by Law No 160/2019), only the portion of the leasing service corresponding to use within the EU is territorially relevant and therefore […]

Insurance Arbitrator: Official Website Now Online – Operational Launch Pending

As of May 26, 2025, the official website of the Insurance Arbitator (Arbitro Assicurativo) is online. This body, established under the Decree of the Italian Ministry of Business and Made in Italy of 6 November 2024, No. 215, is intended to serve as an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism between consumers and insurance companies or […]