Latest Europe Headlines
All the headlines from our Europe Topic Page, ordered by recency.
S&P: Resilience of French Insurance Industry Will Be Tested Further
Jun 29 2011 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has published a report – “French Insurance Industry Holds Up Under Pressure, But Challenges Still Lie Ahead” – on the challenges the French insurance...
S&P Reports European Insurers Still ‘Nervous’ Despite Gains
Jun 28 2011 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued a report which “discusses why it thinks the European insurance industry seems nervous as it enters the second half of 2011.” The report –...
FERMA Elects New Board Members
Jun 27 2011 // The Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) has elected three new board members who will serve from now until June 2014. They are: Helle Friberg of the Danish association DARIM Igor Mikhaylov from the...
Banks, Insurers Move Closer to Deal on Greek Bailout
Jun 24 2011 // Banks and policymakers moved closer to a deal on Friday to help Athens secure funds ahead of a parliamentary vote on austerity next week that Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou must win to avert default. Despite a...
Best Affirms Ironshore and Subs Ratings
Jun 23 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb-” of Cayman Islands-based Ironshore Inc., as well as the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and the ICRs of...
Ratings Recap: IGIUK, MAPFRE Re (Panama), Arab Misr, Gulf, Caribbean Alliance
Jun 23 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has assigned a financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and an issuer credit rating of “a-” to International General Insurance Company (UK) Limited...
Europe Seeks to Get Insurers, Banks on Board Greek Bailout
Jun 22 2011 // European governments are trying to persuade banks and insurers to share the pain of a second Greek bailout package, in an attempt to avoid market meltdown while keeping taxpayers happy. Talks between governments and...
Amy Winehouse’s European Tour in Doubt; Insurance Coverage Too
Jun 21 2011 // The video is painful to watch, an artistic train wreck for all to see. The question is what Amy Winehouse is going to do next. The five-time Grammy Award winner, whose battles with alcohol and drug abuse have long...
Best Upgrades Issuer Credit Rating of ACE European Group; Affirms FSR
Jun 21 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has upgraded the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “aa” from “aa-” and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) of the...
EU Urges Tariff Standstill as Doha Round Down Payment
Jun 21 2011 // World Trade Organization members should agree to a standstill on tariffs in December as a down payment toward a larger deal in long-running world trade talks, the top EU official said Tuesday. EU Trade Commissioner Karel...
European Central Bank Head Warns of Widening Global Imbalances
Jun 20 2011 // European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet on Sunday raised concerns about widening global imbalances after the financial crisis, calling them one of the main challenges for the global economy. Global imbalances...
Guernsey Seminar on Solvency II Assesses Rejection of ‘Equivalence’
Jun 15 2011 // Insurance professionals from the UK and Guernsey were told of the benefits that could result from the Island’s stance on Solvency II. Nearly 100 risk managers, brokers, lawyers, representatives from ratings agencies...
Finance Industry Warns of Transatlantic Discord over Derivative Rules
Jun 8 2011 // Transatlantic sniping by top policymakers could make it harder to agree new rules to crack down on derivatives, derivatives market officials said on Tuesday. “The high policy debate is going in the wrong direction...
Everest Re Names Gourgeon as European General Manager
Jun 7 2011 // The Bermuda-based Everest Re Group has appointed Jean-Luc Gourgeon to the position of European General Manager, based in London. He most recently served as the Chief Underwriting Officer for PARIS RE Group and CEO of PARIS...
Travelers Europe Appoints Felisky as Chief Risk Officer
Jun 7 2011 // Travelers Europe announced that Kendra Felisky has been appointed to the “newly created position of Chief Risk Officer, Europe, covering both Travelers Syndicate Management and Travelers Insurance Company.” She...
Need for Global Insurance Standards Driven by Financial Crisis, Solvency II
Jun 7 2011 // While the European Union is primarily focused on the approach of the Solvency II regulations in 2013, there are two additional regulatory bodies who are also considering some new rules that will affect not only the EU, but...
Germany Says Beansprouts May be Cause of E.coli Infections
Jun 6 2011 // German-grown beansprouts could be the source of the deadly E.coli outbreak that has killed 22 people, made more than 2,000 ill and struck fear into consumers across Europe, officials said on Sunday. The Lower Saxony state...
Living with Solvency II; A Top Regulator Gives His Views
Jun 3 2011 // Solvency II, the European Union’s imminent imposition of new and more sophisticated risk based regulation of its insurers, may not be the only elephant in the room It is, however the main focus of a great deal of...
Europe’s Lethal E.coli Strain May be Deadliest Yet
Jun 3 2011 // More than 1,600 people have been infected by a toxic strain of E.coli bacteria that has killed at least 17 and may be the deadliest yet in human history, health officials said on Friday. Germany is at the center of the...
Russia Bans EU Vegetables Due to E.coli Fears
Jun 2 2011 // Russia banned imports of raw vegetables from the European Union on Thursday because of a deadly E.coli outbreak centered in Germany, Russian media cited the head of the consumer protection agency as saying. “A ban on...
