Latest Europe Headlines

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

VW’s Keyless Entry Systems Vulnerable to Hacking: European Researchers

Aug 12 2016 // Tens of millions of vehicles sold by Volkswagen AG over the past 20 years, and some current models, are vulnerable to theft because keyless entry systems can be hacked using cheap technical devices, according to European...

Zurich Insurance Q2 Net Income Declines 12% on Restructuring, Nat Cats

Aug 11 2016 // Zurich Insurance Group AG said second-quarter profit fell 12 percent on higher restructuring charges and claims from natural catastrophes as Chief Executive Officer Mario Greco overhauls the company’s biggest...

Air Pollution Affects Many London Parks

Aug 10 2016 // London is famous for its numerous parks and gardens, but even those green spaces aren’t safe from pollution. The air in many city parks surpass legal limits for nitrogen oxide set by the European Union, according to...

A.M. Best Assigns ‘A’ Rating to Starr International (Europe) Ltd.

Aug 8 2016 // A.M. Best has assigned a financial strength rating of “A” (Excellent) and an issuer credit rating of “a” to UK-based Starr International (Europe) Ltd. (SIEL). The outlook assigned to each rating is...

Echelon Insurance Agrees to Sell European Subsidiary

Aug 8 2016 // Echelon Financial Holdings Inc., an operator in the property/casualty insurance industry in Canada and Europe, primarily focused on providing non-standard automobile insurance and other niche and specialty insurance...

Allianz Q2 Profit Drops 46% on Nat Cat Claims, Expected Sale of South Korea Unit

Aug 5 2016 // Allianz SE said second-quarter profit almost halved, missing estimates, as Europe’s biggest insurer faced higher claims from natural disasters and charges for the expected sale of its South Korea unit. Net income...

UK Insurers Aviva and RSA Report Higher H1 Profits, Shrug Off Brexit Fallout

Aug 4 2016 // Insurers Aviva Plc and RSA Insurance Group Plc shrugged off any fallout from the Brexit referendum by reporting higher first-half profit and increasing shareholder payouts. The shares rallied in London trading. Aviva, the...

AXA H1 Net Income Rises 4% to $3.6B as L&H Earnings Offset Cat Losses

Aug 3 2016 // AXA SA, France’s biggest insurer, said first-half profit rose 4 percent as increased earnings from life and health insurance helped offset higher claims from natural catastrophes. Net income climbed to 3.2 billion...

Liberty Specialty Markets Appoints Sinz as Head of Europe

Aug 2 2016 // London-based Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has appointed Kadidja Sinz to the new role of head of Europe. Sinz will be responsible for leading and directing the specialty and...

Fosun Plans to Sell as Much as $6 Billion in Assets to Raise Credit Rating

Aug 1 2016 // Fosun Group, one of China’s most acquisitive conglomerates, is preparing to sell as much as 40 billion yuan ($6 billion) in assets as it focuses on raising its credit rating to above junk. After announcing more than...

AIG Offers Brexit Coverage in UK for Anxious Executives

Jul 29 2016 // American International Group is coming out with new Brexit coverage in the UK for anxious executives, barely weeks after the fateful British vote to pull out of the European Union. AIG division AIG UK will handle the...

U.S., EU Report on Re/Insurance Covered Agreement Talks

Jul 28 2016 // Representatives of the United States and the European Union met in Brussels this week to continue their joint negotiations for a bilateral agreement on insurance and reinsurance measures. “Both sides continued to...

Dublin Looks to Lure Financial Services Jobs from UK After Brexit Vote

Jul 27 2016 // Irish recruiters are already filling jobs for financial services firms which are shifting some operations from the United Kingdom, with Dublin moving fast to steal a march on rivals just a month after Britons voted to...

How Brexit Raises Risk of Financial Instability for U.S.

Jul 26 2016 // The U.S. financial system faces greater potential instability due to Britain’s decision to leave the European Union while low and negative interest rates also raise risks, a U.S. government monitor said on Monday. In...

UK Financial Services Firms ‘Will Retain’ EU Passporting Rights: Foreign Secretary

Jul 25 2016 // British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Friday he expects the U.K. to retain the right for its financial firms to sell services across European Union member states after Britain’s exit from the bloc. Johnson,...

Changing Political Risk Landscape: Religious Extremists, Cyberterrorism Cause Concerns

Jul 25 2016 // In a short period of time, the political risk market has experienced a significant shift in exposures, with new potential threats and different territories now threatened by attacks from religious extremists. Christof...

Beazley to Get EU Licenses for Irish Reinsurance Business – After Brexit Vote

Jul 22 2016 // Lloyd’s of London’s Beazley Plc is working to get European insurance licenses for its Irish reinsurance business to allow it to operate throughout the European Union, even if Lloyd’s loses access to the...

Fintech Startup Gets German Banking License – with Plans to Offer Insurance

Jul 21 2016 // N26, a Berlin startup that offers financial services directly to consumers, said Thursday it’s received a German banking license that will let it offer a fuller range of products across Europe. The company, whose...

Suit Seeks to Force UK PM to Consult Parliament Before Initiating Britain’s EU Exit

Jul 20 2016 // A lawsuit seeking to force Prime Minister Theresa May to consult parliament before beginning Britain’s exit from the European Union will be taken “very seriously” and may reach the Supreme Court by...

BHSI Names Kremer as Head of Claims, Northern Europe

Jul 19 2016 // Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co. (BHSI) announced it has expanded its Northern European operations, appointing Ulrich Kremer as senior vice president, Claims, Northern Europe. Ulrich joins BHSI with nearly 16...