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We recently reported that the Solvency II directive had been approved by the European Parliament (see the post here). The final stage of the European legislative process has now been completed with the European Commission adopting the directive on Tuesday 5 May. The implementation date, by which each of the EU member states must bring into force implementing regulations, is stated in the directive to be 31 October 2012. 

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Read More Solvency II Directive Adopted; UK Financial Services Authority Publishes Solvency II Feedback

In light of the current financial crisis, the CEA, the European Insurance and Reinsurance federation, has stressed the importance of reforming the regulation and supervision of the financial services industry. The CEA suggested that the crisis suffered within the financial markets has had a lesser impact on the insurance industry and, for that reason, most insurers do not require the same state assistance that has been provided to the banking industry. It also warned against over-regulation. …
Read More EU: CEA Responds to EC Consultation on Financial Services Supervision

Following agreement on the Solvency II Directive framework (see our blog here), a recent CEIOPS Members Meeting held on 25/26 March 2009 has identified the importance of the implementation of the Solvency II  regime. 

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Read More EU: Committee of European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Supervisors (CEIOPS) Identify Areas for Refinement Under Solvency II

In a letter to the G20 members, the Geneva Association, an organization comprised of CEOs from the world’s leading insurance and reinsurance companies, provided recommendations for more effective regulation of the insurance and reinsurance industry, along with information and analysis regarding the differences between the insurance and reinsurance industry and that of the banking industry. 

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Read More Global Insurance Research Organization Offers Guidance to G20 Members on Regulating the Insurance Industry

The Solvency II framework directive has finally been agreed and the proposals are expected to be formally passed in the next six weeks by both the European Parliament and the European and Financial Affairs Council (a subset of the Council of Ministers). 

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Read More EU: Solvency II Directive Agreed – Group Supervision Proposals Dropped

The European Commission has stated in a report, adopted on 24 March 2009, that two of the four forms of cooperation benefiting from the Insurance Block Exemption Regulation (the “BER”) may continue to be protected under a partially renewed BER when the current one expires on 31 March 2010. 

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Read More EU: European Commission Issues Provisional Views on the Renewal of the Insurance Block Exemption Regulation (358/2003/EEC)

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has backed the proposed creation of a European body to act as “supervisor of supervisors” across the EU as part of regulatory reform, and put forward five key principles in order to help ensure that reforms bring benefits for consumers. 

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Read More UK/EU: Association of British Insurers Proposes Regulatory Principles, Backs European Supervisory Body