Latest Europe Headlines
All the headlines from our Europe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Best’s Rating Actions Spurred by EU Failure to Produce Debt Crisis Solution
Dec 21 2011 // Although the recent summit of the 27 countries of the European Union did manage to come up with a plan to control budget deficits – in the future – it “took no clear short term actions to address the debt...
Insurers May Open ‘Black Box’ Telematics to Escape Gender Ban
Dec 21 2011 // Motor [auto] insurers seeking to get around a European ban on charging male drivers more than women are turning to innovative black box technology that could trigger an upheaval in the way car insurance is...
Best Affirms Lloyd’s Syndicate 2001 Ratings; Amlin AG, Amlin plc; Outlook Stable
Dec 20 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “aa-” of Lloyd’s Syndicate 2001, which is...
Storm Joachim Hits Northern Europe; AIR Sees No ‘Significant’ Losses
Dec 20 2011 // Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, has reported on winter storm Joachim, which developed over the Atlantic and became a severe extra-tropical cyclone over Western Europe late last week. Central pressure went as low...
Ratings Roundup: MAPFRE USA, AXA US,
Dec 19 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to ‘A’ (Excellent) from ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings to “a+” from “aa-” of MAPFRE USA Group following...
Best Affirms Ratings of Inter Hannover UK; Outlook Positive
Dec 19 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a+” of UK-based International Insurance...
Best Places MAPFRE PRAICO Group’s Ratings on Review/Negative
Dec 19 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has placed under review with negative implications the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings of “a+” of MAPFRE PRAICO Group (MPG) and its members,...
Best Affirms Aviva’s Ratings; Places them on Review/Negative
Dec 16 2011 // Following its announcements, made earlier this week, A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited is continuing to take rating actions on a number of European (re)insurers, as a result of the continued negative...
Best Downgrades Generali, Main Subs Ratings; Keeps on Review/Negative
Dec 15 2011 // As a result of the continued negative developments regarding the euro zone sovereign debt crisis, A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘A’...
Best Downgrades MAPFRE RE’s Ratings; Placed on Review/Negative
Dec 15 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited announced that “as a result of the continued negative developments regarding the euro zone sovereign debt crisis,” it has downgraded the financial strength rating to...
Best Downgrades Allianz and Subs Issuer Credit Ratings; Affirms FSR
Dec 15 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has reacted to the ongoing sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone, which it describes as “continued negative developments” with a number of rating actions, starting...
Europe’s Austerity Zeal Risks Killing the Patient
Dec 14 2011 // Europe’s “no pain no gain” attitude to solving its sovereign crisis risks exacerbating the bloc’s problems, choking off the very growth needed to raise the money to pay down the debt. From Athens to...
Munich Re Describes Climate Conference Results as ‘Disappointing’
Dec 14 2011 // From Munich Re’s perspective, the recently concluded climate summit in Durban “yielded disappointing results that fail to reflect the world climate’s dramatic situation.” Prof. Peter Höppe, head of...
Ratings Roundup: BEST Re, BCRe, TUCI
Dec 13 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a-” of Malaysia’s BEST RE (L) Limited, both with stable...
New U.N. Climate Deal Struck; Critics Say Gains Modest
Dec 12 2011 // Countries from around the globe agreed on Sunday to forge a new deal forcing all the biggest polluters for the first time to limit greenhouse gas emissions, but critics said the plan was too timid to slow global warming. A...
S&P Puts Allianz, Aviva, AXA, Generali, Mapfre Units, 10 Other EU Insurers on CreditWatch/Negative
Dec 12 2011 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings announced that it has placed its ratings on the following insurers (and certain related operating subsidiaries and certain holding companies) on CreditWatch with negative...
UK Insurance Association: Solvency II May Help or Hinder EU Growth
Dec 9 2011 // Amidst all the turmoil in the euro zone, the implementation of the Solvency II regulations, governing the 27 members of the European Union, including the UK, grinds inexorably forward. It is a fact of life for British...
Europe Moves Ahead with Fiscal Union; UK Isolated
Dec 9 2011 // Europe divided on Friday in a historic rift over building a fiscal union to preserve the euro, with a large majority of countries led by Germany and France agreeing to move ahead with a separate treaty, leaving Britain...
Lloyd’s Study Finds U.S. Businesses Concerned with Talent, Skills Shortage
Dec 8 2011 // U.S. business leaders are as concerned as their European counterparts over a talent and skills shortage, despite record unemployment levels across much of the U.S. The talent risk was number two in a survey conducted by...
Ratings Recap: China Taiping (NZ), Ansvar (NZ), Nationale Suisse
Dec 7 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘B++’ (Good) and issuer credit rating of “bbb” of China Taiping Insurance (NZ) Limited (CTINZ), both with stable outlooks. Best said the...
