Latest Europe Headlines

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

World Trade Talks Stall as Troubles Grow

Jul 29 2008 // Progress towards a global trade deal ground to a halt on Monday as the United States clashed with China and India over access to their rapidly growing markets and key European Union states demanded better...

Alliant Launches Political & Economic Risk Indices, Ratings on Bloomberg

Jul 23 2008 // Alliant Emerging Markets announced the expansion of its risk analytics and advisory services by launching a source of political and economic risk indices and ratings available to banks, investments banks, private equity,...

Czech Risk Management Association Joins FERMA

Jul 18 2008 // The Association of Insurance and Risk Management Experts of the Czech Republic (ASPARCR) has been accepted as a member of the Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA). This brings to a total of 16 the...

Guermonprez Named CEO of Aon France

Jul 10 2008 // Aon Corp. has appointed Damien Guermonprez as chief executive officer of Aon France. He replaces Vincent Redier, who will continue to serve as executive chairman of Aon France, member of the executive board of Aon Risk...

World Trade Organization Mediators Report Progress in Negotiations

Jul 10 2008 // World Trade Organization mediators in Geneva put the final touches to new negotiating texts on Thursday that will serve as the blueprint for an outline deal in the WTO’s long-running Doha round, trade officials...

European Union, India Support Including Insurance in World Trade Deal

Jul 8 2008 // The European Union and India said on Monday they were committed to a world trade deal that takes account of services as well as agriculture and industrial goods. A joint statement issued after Indian Trade Minister Kamal...

ACE Europe Names Fox Development Manager for UK Regions

Jul 3 2008 // ACE Europe has announced the appointment of Ian Fox as Development Manager for the UK Regions. He will be responsible for managing and building ACE’s broker relationships across its eight UK regional offices...

S&P: Affirms QBE’s Ratings; Praetorian Upgraded to Core Status

Jul 2 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its insurer financial strength and counterparty credit ratings on holding company QBE Insurance Group Ltd. (currently rated ‘A-‘) and QBE’s core...

Tokio Marine Seeks U.S., Europe Acquisitions

Jul 1 2008 // Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. Japan’s largest non-life insurer, is looking at opportunities to acquire U.S. and European competitors as part of its overseas growth strategy, Chief Executive Shuzo Sumi said on...

Lloyd’s on ‘Rogue Traders’

Jul 1 2008 // It appears the “rogue” trading in the investment banking industry may not be an isolated problem. After Jerome Kerviel cost French bank Société Générale to book some $5 billion in losses, Morgan Stanley...

Fitch Places XL on Rating Watch Negative

Jul 1 2008 // Fitch Ratings has placed the ratings of XL Capital Ltd. and its P/C (re)insurance subsidiaries, including the Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and the Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating of lead (re)insurance companies XL...

Europe Ratings Recap: Montpelier Syndicate 5151, Alliance Int’l., Tryggingamidstödin

Jun 30 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its interactive Lloyd’s Syndicate Assessment (LSA) of ‘3-‘ (average dependency) to U.K.-based Montpelier Syndicate 5151 with a stable outlook....

Reagan Joins Aon Construction Group, Focusing on Europe, Asia

Jun 30 2008 // Aon Corp. reports that Mark Reagan, former chairman of the Willis Construction practice, has joined Aon Construction Services Group as managing director. Reagan will be responsible for supporting the international practice...

Hiscox Comments on Recent Art Sales

Jun 27 2008 // A bulletin from Hiscox in London notes that “modern, contemporary and 19th century European art continues to see double digit growth despite global uncertainty. The value of modern and contemporary art has continued...

Spain’s Santander Eyes Dresdner Bank – Sources

Jun 20 2008 // Spanish retail bank Santander is considering buying Dresdner Bank in the latest twist of Germany’s bank merger frenzy, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The German banking industry is the...

Marsh Names Cameron UK CFO

Jun 19 2008 // Marsh announced the appointment of Angus Cameron as CFO of Marsh UK. He will join Marsh on August 18 and will report both to Martin South, CEO of Marsh UK and Marc Vassanelli, CFO of Marsh in Europe, the Middle East and...

Ratings Roundup: Allianz, Stellar, W.R. Berkley (Europe), Kiln

Jun 19 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘A+’ junior subordinated long-term debt rating on the $2.0 billion undated, subordinated, fixed-rate callable bonds issued by Germany’s...

Aon Names Soeteman-Reijnen Managing Director – Europe, Middle East, Africa

Jun 18 2008 // Aon Risk Services has appointed Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen as managing director, head of broking excellence for Aon Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), with immediate effect. The bulletin from Aon’s London office...

ACE Chooses Shaw as Chief Underwriter-Global Markets, Tempest Re Chairman

Jun 18 2008 // ACE has announced the appointment of Matthew Shaw as Chief Underwriting Officer, ACE Global Markets (AGM). He will also become the Chairman, ACE Tempest Re Europe, where he was previously Managing Director. He will report...

Willis Research Network Teams to Study Quakes with Italy’s EUCENTRE

Jun 17 2008 // The Willis Research Network (WRN), part of Willis Group Holdings Limited, announced that the EUCENTRE in Pavia has joined its network to enhance the quality of the earthquake research and modeling it offers to the...