News

EIOPA Press Release:

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has launched a public consultation on Guidelines on preparing for Solvency II.

The Groupe Consultatif Actuariel Européen has published a booklet titled “the Role of the Actuary under Solvency II, Raising the bar on insurance technical expertise.”

The booklet states that Actuaries can play a significant role in giving senior management and boards of directors the support they need under Solvency II - not just within the Actuarial Function, but in a number of other areas within insurance management and oversight.

The Groupe Consultatif Actuariel Européen has published a paper titled “Comparison of the Regulatory Approach in Insurance and Banking in the Context of Solvency II”.  The principal author is Mairead O’Shea, a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland. 

“Executive Summary

The Groupe Consultatif Actuariel Européen has published a paper on Market Consistency.  The paper summarises the key principles underlying market consistent valuations of assets and liabilities.  Its underlying aim is to help actuaries and others best interpret the concept of market consistency in contexts where several possible valuation approaches are or might be proposed.

On 16 May 2012, the European Commission published a proposed directive of the European Parliament and the Council in order to amend the deadline for the transposition and subsequent implementation of the Solvency II Framework Directive (Directive 2009/138/EC).
 
The proposed Directive says:

The plenary vote on Omnibus II in the European Parliament has been rescheduled from 17 April 2012 to 2 July 2012.  Read Central Bank of Ireland update. 

The European Commission has published guidelines on the application of the Council Directive 2004/113/EC (the “Gender Directive”) to insurance, in the light of last year’s judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Case C-236/09 (Test-Achats).

Article 5(1) of the Gender Directive provides that, for new insurance and other financial services contracts concluded after 21st December 2007, the use of gender as an actuarial factor in the calculation of premiums and benefits must not result in differences in individuals’ premiums and benefits.

The Groupe Consultatif's first European Congress of Actuaries - ECA 2012 - will take place in Brussels on 7/8 June 2012. The theme is The Future European Actuary. This Congress aims to attract actuaries working in industry, consulting and academia, as well as other financial professionals, politicians and others interested in the future of risk management in Europe. The programme will include speakers from the European Parliament and Commission, supervisory authorities, rating agencies, and other fields.

Brussels - It is in the interest of consumers that insurance markets provide affordable and accessible insurance. However, if risk factors such as age and disability should be ruled discriminatory, as was the case for gender in the landmark ruling of the European Court of Justice in March 2011, certain types of insurance cover could become unavailable, according to the Groupe Consultatif Actuariel Européen.