Latest Europe Headlines

All the headlines from our Europe Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Shareholders Seek Clues to Allianz’s Plan for Pimco from New CEO

May 6 2015 // Allianz shareholders will see new CEO Oliver Baete installed on Wednesday and will be eager for any clues about his strategy for Europe’s largest insurer – and how he plans to improve the prospects of its asset...

Insurers Warn Against Encroachment on State Regulation

May 5 2015 // Insurance companies are calling for Congress to ensure state-based insurance regulation remains protected from federal or international “regulatory encroachment.” “Congress must now increase its oversight...

In Land of Negative Yields, Even Conservative Insurers Eye Junk Bond Investments

May 5 2015 // The new fixed-income haven is, of all things, the market for junk bonds. With government securities in Germany to Japan and Ireland yielding less than nothing, money is pouring into exchange- traded funds that buy...

QBE Appoints Huber as Head of European Liability

May 4 2015 // London-based QBE European Operations, which is part of QBE Insurance Group, has appointed Thomas Huber to lead the expansion of its European liability portfolio. Huber has joined as head of European liability with...

Europe Calls for Tougher Limits on Super Greenhouse Gases (HFCs)

May 1 2015 // The European Commission on Thursday called for a tougher U.N. Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer by curbing super greenhouse gases known as HFCs, that have a global warming potential thousands of times greater...

Roscoe Appointed Head of London and European Broker Relations for Beazley

May 1 2015 // Specialist insurer Beazley has appointed Will Roscoe to head the company’s broker relations activity in the London and European markets. Roscoe brings extensive experience of the insurance market both as a broker and...

UK Regulator Approves Xchanging’s Acquisition of Agencyport Europe

Apr 29 2015 // Business technology and services provider Xchanging plc announced that the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has delivered its formal decision to clear the completed acquisition of Agencyport...

Insurers May Face Stock Sell-Off as Bond Yields Drop to Record Lows

Apr 27 2015 // Allianz SE, Europe’s biggest insurer, was cut to underperform by Jefferies Group as the investment bank warned insurance stocks may face an industrywide sell-off. “If bond yields fall further from here, the...

German Soccer Club Insured for Revenue Losses; Policy Led by Catlin, XL

Apr 23 2015 // Borussia Dortmund is using an unusual insurance policy to recover most of the income it is losing for failing to qualify for European soccer’s elite Champions League for the first time in five years, according to two...

Qatar Insurance Co. Posts 28% Q1 GWP Growth to $527 Million

Apr 22 2015 // The Qatar Insurance Company (QIC) posted strong growth in the first quarter of 2014 with gross written premiums rising 28 percent to $527 million, comparted to $412 million in Q1 2013. Net income for the period, however,...

Insurers with $6 Trillion Mull Mortgage Loans, Private Equity: Goldman Sachs

Apr 22 2015 // Global insurers who oversee more than $6 trillion in assets plan to invest capital in commercial mortgage loans and private equity this year to generate higher returns, a Goldman Sachs Asset Management survey...

EU Mounts Fresh Bid to End U.S. Reinsurance Collateral Rule

Apr 21 2015 // The European Union will mount a fresh bid to persuade the United States to free up the billions of euros in collateral it requires foreign reinsurers to set aside against policies. EU states agreed on Tuesday to give the...

Hundreds Drown off Libya; EU Leaders Forced to Reconsider Migrant Crisis

Apr 20 2015 // As many as 700 migrants were feared dead on Sunday after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean, raising pressure on Europe to face down anti-immigrant bias and find money for support as turmoil in Libya and the Middle...

Aspen Insurance, Starr Companies to Form Joint Europe Property Venture

Apr 17 2015 // Bermuda-based Aspen Insurance, the insurance segment of Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited, and Starr Companies announced that they have “signed a memorandum of understanding under which both parties will enter into a...

Allied World Appoints Evans Non-Executive Chairman of Lloyd’s Managing Agency

Apr 15 2015 // Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG announced that Jonathan Evans will join the board of directors and become the Non-Executive Chairman of Allied World Managing Agency Limited, its Lloyd’s managing agency,...

Former S&P Europe Insurance Head Clemens Joins Litmus Analysis

Apr 13 2015 // Litmus Analysis announced that Karin Clemens, the former head of S&P’s European insurance rating practice, is joining Litmus. She “will bring even further experience in ratings to the Litmus team, working...

RMS Releases Updated Europe Windstorm, North Atlantic Hurricane Models

Apr 10 2015 // RMS, the Newark, Calif.-based catastrophe risk management firm, has released updated RMS Europe windstorm models and North Atlantic hurricane models. The 15.0 RMS Europe Windstorm Models’ hazard and vulnerability...

A.M. Best: Insurers Must Consider Risks of U.K. Exit From European Union

Apr 8 2015 // Insurers based in the United Kingdom underwriting a material amount of European business should be monitoring the potential consequences of the United Kingdom exiting or renegotiating its position within the European Union...

Solvency II Staggers Towards Finish Line: a Retrospective Analysis

Apr 7 2015 // It’s been a long process, but, according to Paul Fisher, deputy head of the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), who supervises insurance and regulatory risk, the introduction of the...

QBE European Operations Names Menear as Director of Underwriting Operations

Apr 6 2015 // London-based QBE European Operations, which is part of QBE Insurance Group, has appointed Nick Menear as director of underwriting operations, effective April 1. In this new role, Menear is responsible for fostering...