**After David Lisnard’s New Year ceremony, the State outlines the departmental framework for cruises and clarifies its position on the reuse of treated wastewater**
Laurent Hottiaux attended the New Year ceremony of Cannes’ mayor, David Lisnard. The prefect highlights the quality of relations between the State’s services and those of the city of Cannes. However, two topics mentioned by the mayor call for clarifications. The first concerns the regulation of cruise ships. The mayor regretted that the State does not allow him to implement stricter regulations. The prefect reminds that regulatory authority falls under the State and that a departmental framework already exists.
An inter-prefectural order was signed on December 9, 2025, with the maritime prefect of the Mediterranean. This text governs the reception of ships in the Alpes-Maritimes. It aims to balance environmental protection, public health, residents’ tranquility, and economic and tourism challenges. The prefect emphasizes the collaborative nature of this regulation, developed with the stakeholders involved. The department thus benefits from a shared system across all ports, providing a consistent framework for companies and local authorities.
The order sets several limits. The annual average allowed is 2,000 passengers disembarked per day of stopover. An occasional cap of 3,000 simultaneous passengers applies, respecting this average. The number of ships is also regulated. Only one ship may disembark in the same anchorage or stop area when it carries more than 1,300 passengers. During the summer, between July 1 and August 31, the limit is set at fifteen ships per month and per area for ships of this capacity.
The prefect stresses that this framework is more restrictive than the municipal initiative taken by the mayor of Cannes, who authorizes up to 6,000 passengers per day. This amendment is subject to a prefectural challenge in administrative court. The State representative recalls that the departmental regulation reinforces the implementation of the “sustainable cruise in the Mediterranean” charter, signed in June 2025 by Philippe Tabarot and the Monegasque minister in charge of Transport. Several companies operating along the coastline already adhere to it.
**REUT, a tool supported but regulated by the State**
The second point concerns the reuse of treated wastewater. The mayor believes that the State does not regard this solution as a relevant resource and favors broad restrictions. The prefect reminds that water management has been a national priority since 2023, in a context of now established climate change. REUT is among the measures supported by the State. Several municipalities in the department already use it for street washing, watering green spaces, or cleaning boats. Other projects are under review.
REUT helps reduce tensions on the resource. However, it cannot become the sole solution in a territory where river flows are expected to decrease by about 20% in the coming years. The prefect reminds that the department experiences restrictions even in autumn. The use of REUT remains subject to prefectural authorization to ensure compliance with environmental and health standards. This procedure aims to secure uses and prevent risks to natural environments or sensitive activities.
