Germany

Topic: Insurance

Subscribe to Insurance RSS feed

EIOPA outlines its approach to the supervision of insurance product governance and oversight

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has published ‘EIOPA’s approach to the supervision of product oversight and governance’. The Insurance Distribution Directive ((EU) 2016/97) (IDD) contains requirements on product oversight and governance for insurance distributors. These requirements aim to ensure that customers’ interests are taken into account throughout the product lifecycle. The latest … Continue Reading

EIOPA launches consultation on the supervision and use of climate change risk scenarios in the Solvency II ORSA

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has published for consultation a draft Opinion on the supervision of the use of climate-change risk scenarios in the ORSA. The ORSA is an internal risk management assessment of all the various risks that might impact an insurer’s balance sheet and is a requirement under Solvency II. … Continue Reading

EIOPA launches a consultation on a draft supervisory statement on risk mitigation techniques undertaken by insurers and reinsurers

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has launched a consultation on a draft supervisory statement that seeks to promote supervisory convergence in relation to the assessment and use of risk-mitigation technique in insurance. EIOPA has concerns that divergent practices or supervisory arbitrage in this area could create an un-level playing field. The supervisory … Continue Reading

European Commission publishes paper setting out best-practice examples in relation to insurers’ COVID-19 measures

The European Commission has published a paper setting out examples of best-practices relating to relief measures offered to the customers of financial services businesses in the COVID-19 crisis. The best-practice paper includes examples relevant to insurance. The paper is the outcome of two roundtables including a number of participants from across the financial services industries, … Continue Reading

European Commission publishes a notice to stakeholders on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU (re)insurance market

On 13 July 2020, the European Commission published a notice to stakeholders on the effects of the end of the transition period after which the UK’s relationship with the EU will fundamentally change. The notice is aimed at EU (re)insurance companies and insurance distributors. The Commission advises firms to assess the consequences of the end … Continue Reading

BaFin puts distribution policies regarding dividends and bonuses of German insurers and pension funds in the context of COVID-19 under scrutiny

In accordance with its habit to upload links to EIOPA publications relating to the aligned policy of European supervisors in light of the current coronavirus crisis, the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – BaFin) on 2 April 2020 published a note in which it referred to EIOPA’s statement of the same date … Continue Reading

BaFin publishes FAQ on current supervisory measures for German insurers and pension funds in light of COVID-19

On 18 March 2020 and 21 March 2020 the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – BaFin) published notes in which it referred to and appropriated EIOPA publications on Actions to mitigate the impact of Coronavirus/COVID-19 on the EU insurance sector (dated 17 March 2020) and Recommendations on supervisory flexibility regarding the deadline … Continue Reading

Coronavirus/COVID-19: German regulator on conduct of business rules

After the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) had issued a public statement regarding the application of MiFID II requirements on the recording of telephone conversations on 20 March 2020 (see the related publication in our blog), the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – BaFin) published additional guidance to market participants on the same … Continue Reading

German regulator publishes governance guidelines for small insurers

Before the impact of Coronavirus/COVID-19 materialized and lead to a shut down of much of the public life in Germany, on 6 March 2020, the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, BaFin) published its Circular 01/2020 (VA) on Minimum Requirements under Supervisory Law on the System of Governance of small Insurance Undertakings (Circular). … Continue Reading

Coronavirus/COVID-19: German regulator grants temporary relief for supervised entities (update)

After having taken initial steps to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial sector in Germany (see the related publication in our blog), the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – BaFin) has taken further relief measures. In order to give supervised entities a better overview of these measures, … Continue Reading

Coronavirus/COVID-19: German regulator grants temporary relief for supervised entities

After having stated that it will closely monitor the risk situation caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) with a view to potential reactions, the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – BaFin) has now taken initial steps to deal with the impact of the pandemic on the financial sector in Germany. Relief for … Continue Reading

ESG: German regulator publishes guidance notice on sustainability

The German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has issued a guidance notice on dealing with sustainability risks (ESG Guidance Notice). The binding German version was published on 20 December 2019 and later editorially modified on 13 January 2020. Further, BaFin has now also made available an English convenience translation. The German regulator had launched a consultation based on … Continue Reading

German regulator publishes English version of guidance regarding outsourcing by insurers to cloud services

The German regulator BaFin has published an English version of its guidelines published in November 2018, Link. The guidance specifies the contractual provisions which BaFin expects to be included in agreements between German regulated insurers, reinsurers and credit institutions and cloud service providers.… Continue Reading

Amendments to Solvency II Delegated Regulation published in the Official Journal

On 18th June 2019, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/981 (the Amending Regulation), which amends the Solvency II Delegated Regulation ((EU) 2015/35), was published in the Official Journal of the EU. The European Commission adopted the Amending Regulation on 8 March 2019. The Amending Regulation will enter into force on 8 July 2019 (twenty days after … Continue Reading

EIOPA publishes a report following its thematic review of the use of Big Data Analytics in motor and health insurance

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has published a report on the use of Big Data Analytics in motor and health insurance. The report reveals a trend for increasingly data-driven business models throughout the insurance value chain in both health and motor insurance.… Continue Reading

German government plans to introduce a cap on insurance commissions

The amount of insurance commissions paid to insurance intermediaries for the placement of life insurance contracts has been a thorn in the side of consumer protection groups and the German insurance regulator BaFin for years. Another area which came increasingly in the focus of the regulator’s attention are payment protection policies and the related remuneration … Continue Reading

France clarifies the form and content of the information to be provided by UK insurers to their French insureds and policyholders following Brexit in the event of a no-deal

On 22 March 2019, the French Ministry of Economy and Finance passed a decree (the Decree) implementing the provisions of the ordinance n° 2019-75 of 6 February 2019, introducing a contingency plan for the financial institutions sector in connection with the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) (the Ordinance). As … Continue Reading

German government makes preparations to pave the way for a transitional regime for the run-off of the German business of UK insurers and reinsurers in the case of a hard Brexit

Update of 25 February 2019: The German draft act laying the ground for a limited transitional regime for UK financial services firms including insurers and reinsurers following a hard Brexit has passed the German parliament (Bundestag) on 21 February 2019 without any amendments regarding the transitional regime for UK insurers and reinsurers. The required approval … Continue Reading

EIOPA publishes framework for assessing conduct risk through the product lifecycle

On 20 February 2019, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) published a framework to identify the drivers of conduct risk so that EIOPA and European National Competent Authorities (NCAs) can focus on minimising these risks to consumers.… Continue Reading

EIOPA issues recommendations to European National Competent Authorities to minimise risks to policyholders in the event of a no-deal Brexit

On 19 February 2019, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) issued nine recommendations to the National Competent Authorities (NCAs) with responsibility for the supervision of insurance undertakings and insurance intermediaries in European Union (EU) Member States. The recommendations provide the NCAs with guidance on EIOPA’s expectations in relation to the treatment of UK … Continue Reading

France enacts a new legal regime for insurance contracts entered into before Brexit in the event of a no-deal.

On 7 February 2019, the French Ministry of Economy and Finance passed an Ordinance (No. 2019-75) introducing a contingency plan for the financial institutions sector in connection with the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) (the Ordinance)[1]. The Ordinance amends the provisions of the French Insurance Code (FIC) (among others) … Continue Reading

IDD transposition in Germany almost complete through guidance provided by new German regulation

Insurers and other insurance distributors faced significant challenges while implementing the requirements of the German law transposing the Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD). Even though the IDD was transposed into German law as of 23 February 2018, several details were not yet available due to outstanding regulations. The new German regulation, i.e. the German Insurance Distribution … Continue Reading

Replacement of the Luxembourg Protocol with new IDD co-operation agreement

The European protocol governing the Cooperation of the Competent Authorities of the Members States of the European Union in Particular Concerning the Application of Directive 2002/92/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 December 2002 on Insurance Mediation (more commonly referred to as the “Luxembourg Protocol”) has been replaced by an updated … Continue Reading

Delegated Regulation amending Solvency II to align with Securitisation Regulation published in OJ

 On 10 September 2018, there was published in the Official Journal of the  EU (OJ) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/1221 of 1 June 2018 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/35 as regards the calculation of regulatory capital requirements for securitisations and simple, transparent and standardised securitisations held by insurance and reinsurance undertakings. The Delegated Regulation will … Continue Reading
LexBlog