Latest Europe Headlines

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

India Grants 3 Month Extension to Iranian Underwriters for Non-Oil Shipments

Jul 18 2013 // India has extended a temporary approval to Iranian underwriters Kish P&I Club and Moallem Insurance Co for covering container and tanker vessels calling at Indian ports, in a move that should clear a backlog of...

FERMA Urges EC to Respect ‘Freedom of Choice’ for Cat Coverage

Jul 18 2013 // The Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) announced that it has told the European Commission that “any new insurance solutions for catastrophe risks should be market based and respect freedom of...

Best Places Torus Insurance and Subs Ratings under Review/Negative

Jul 12 2013 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has placed under review with negative implications the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of...

Best Europe Affirms ‘A+’ Ratings of Allianz SE and Subsidiaries

Jul 11 2013 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Germany’s Allianz Societas Europaea...

Europe’s Floods Top Aon Benfield’s List of June’s Catastrophes

Jul 11 2013 // The latest report from Impact Forecasting, the catastrophe model development center of excellence at Aon Benfield, which reviews the natural disasters that occurred worldwide during June 2013, highlights the $22 billion in...

‘Commercial Ties,’ ‘Economic Growth’ Top EU/U.S. Trade Talk Agenda

Jul 11 2013 // Marjorie Chorlins, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Director for Europe, issued a statement itemizing the Chamber’s views on the opening round of negotiations between the U.S. and Europe for the Transatlantic...

As Political Risks Proliferate, Insurers Increase Coverage Options

Jul 10 2013 // Could it happen to us? Tourism, manufacturing and resources companies surveying an unpredictable world are increasingly having to consider insurance against political risks, and the insurance industry is gearing up to...

Lloyd’s Says High Taxes, Regulation Burden European Firms

Jul 10 2013 // High taxation and new regulations are among the most pressing concerns for senior European company executives, according to a survey by Lloyd’s of London. The Lloyd’s Risk Index survey also found executives...

U.S. EU Launch Free Trade Talks Despite Spying Concerns

Jul 9 2013 // The United States and the European Union began talks on Monday on a landmark bilateral free trade agreement, despite European concerns about U.S. spying that had threatened to delay the start after nearly two years of...

Flood Losses Dominate Disaster Count in 1st Half of 2013: Munich Re

Jul 9 2013 // Floods caused billions of dollars in losses and dominated the natural catastrophe statistics for the first half of 2013, according to a study released by Munich Re. “Around 47 percent of the overall losses and 45...

Retailers Plan Bangladesh Factory Inspections under Safety Pact

Jul 9 2013 // A group of mainly European retailers has finalized a plan to conduct coordinated inspections of factories in Bangladesh in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the Rana Plaza disaster that killed 1,129 people in April. The...

Swiss Re Estimates Europe Flood Claims at $300 Mn; Overall Losses $3.5-$4.5 Bn

Jul 8 2013 // Swiss Re has estimated that its claims burden from recent flooding in central and Eastern Europe is approximately $300 million, net of retrocession and before tax. Industry-wide insured losses are estimated to be between...

In Past Decade, World Experienced Unprecedented Climate Extremes: WMO

Jul 3 2013 // The world suffered unprecedented climate extremes in the decade to 2010, from heatwaves in Europe and droughts in Australia to floods in Pakistan, against a backdrop of global warming, a United Nations report said on...

Markel Promotes Richardson to European Retail Claims Manager

Jul 2 2013 // London-based specialty insurer Markel International Limited has appointed Mike Richardson as European retail claims manager. Previously claims manager for Markel International’s UK retail division, a position he held...

U.S. Suspends Trade Benefits for Bangladesh Over Workplace Safety

Jun 28 2013 // President Barack Obama on Thursday cut off longtime U.S. trade benefits for Bangladesh in a mostly symbolic response to dangerous conditions in that country’s garment industry that have cost more than 1,200 lives in...

Ratings Roundup: AEGIS, SOGAZ, African Re, Delvag

Jun 26 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a-” of Bermuda-based Associated Electric & Gas Insurance Services Limited (AEGIS), and...

Best Europe Affirms Lloyd’s Syndicate 1225 Ratings; Outlook Stable

Jun 25 2013 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a+” of Lloyd’s Syndicate 1225, which is...

Ratings Recap: American European, Liberty Mutual (Notes), Pacific Comp., IFA

Jun 20 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to ‘B’ (Fair) from ‘B+’ (Good) and issuer credit rating to “bb+” from “bbb-” for American European Insurance...

FERMA: ‘Disclosure’ Alone Not Enough to Control Companies’ Social Risks

Jun 20 2013 // “Public disclosure of a company’s social issues is good, but by itself does not show that the risks are under control,” the Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) has told the...

AIR Estimates Insured German Flood Losses between $5.28 and $7.66 Billion

Jun 20 2013 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimates that insured losses in Germany from the recent floods in Central Europe are between €4.0 billion [$5.28 billion] and €5.8 billion [$7.66 billion]. The overall economic...