I have had the honor to serve Eubronet as a President from October 2009 till April 2015. As always, during this period all members have been learning from each other thanks to our open discussions regarding the latest issues in our profession during our different meetings we have had in Stockholm, Prague, New York City, Amsterdam, Brussels, Istanbul and Basel. [Read more…]
New President Eubronet Dieter Schäublin
21 October 2015
Eubronet Meeting 2015 in Basle
From the 23rd – 24th of April the Eubronet meeting 2015 took place in Basle. It was a pleasure to welcome 22 participants representing 14 Eubronet partners.
We had an interesting agenda for these 2 days.
After the News from every country, we invited Zurich Insurance for a presentation of compliance in international programs. Beeing compliant, especially in international programs, is getting more and more important. The Zurich presentation was very interesting and gave us new information how to advise our international clients effectively.
A self-managed international network
16 April 2015
Eubronet (European Brokers Network) is a further network of partner brokers which take on risk on the international stage. Launched in 1989 by the French brokerage AFCM (which has since been bought up by the brokers Verspieren), Eubronet brings together brokers from 15 European countries as well as one from the United States. These insurance firms are of very different sizes.
The executive management of IIZI Kindlustusmaakler AS has bought the majority holding in IIZI Group AS
14 April 2015
IIZI Group AS announces that the executive management and the key personnel of IIZI Kindlustusmaakler AS, lead by the company’s managing director Igor Fedotov, have acquired the majority holding in the IIZI Group from the previous owners. The main motivation behind the aquisition was the fact that the business activities of the IIZI Group have been divided into two— the successful start‐up Insly offers software for the global market and the market leader IIZI focuses on offering new exciting insurance mediation services. The transaction provides today’s executive management with greater possibilities for further development of the business activities within the field of insurance mediation services.
MIFID
29 January 2015
MIFID is the cornerstone of the European Commission’s Financial services Action plan who will significantly change how EU financial service markets operate.
The directive’s main objectives are to increase competition and consumer protection. [Read more…]
Insurance tip on the topic of: supply chain and risk potential
22 December 2014
Productivity and growth are key objectives for companies. A fine and sensitive division of labour:
- Outsourcing
- Just-in-time processes
- Global supply chains
- Decentralised added value
is required in order to achieve such objectives on international markets. [Read more…]
Estandard & Poor´s: “The situation of the Spanish Insurance Sector is more positive compared with previous year and it is stable”
22 December 2014
In a meeting held on November 13th in Madrid the specialized press, the agency remarked the stability of the Spanish insurers with a stable perspective . [Read more…]
The latest Estonian Financial market overview
15 September 2014
Estonian Non-Life insurance report
15 September 2014
This report gives wider overview about insurance business in Estonia.
Negotiations about new insurance law
15 September 2014
The negotiations about new insurance law are started and new law must be efective from January 2015. Main issue will be brokers fees and how clients are served by brokers, agents or directly by insurance company.
Patrim One Insurance – A unique knowledge for exceptional goods
15 September 2014
We are pleased to anounce that as from August 1st 2014, B-Safe have taken over a significant interest in Patrim One Insurance.
Patrim One is an independant insurance broker on the Belgian market entirely dedicated to wealthy private clients.
Member of a broker network intenationally focused on private lines, it is therefore able to meet its client’s needs worldwide. [Read more…]
The International Insurance – Reinsurance Forum, FIAR 2014
12 May 2014
The International Insurance – Reinsurance Forum, FIAR 2014 will be held in Brasov, Romania between 25-29 May 2014
The conference will gather representatives of all major insurance and reinsurance companies, active in CEE, SEE & CIS to discuss the recent developments on the European and international insurance market on general insurance, life insurance, pensions.
Other topics will be related to Catastrophic Risks, Agricultural insurance or Risk Management.
www.fiar.ro
Eubronet exists 25 years!
12 May 2014
Eubronet exists 25 years! A wonderful milestone, 25 years the Eubronet insurancebrokers are serving customers who do business and have risks beyond its own borders.
Employers liability
12 May 2014
Recent verdicts by the Supreme Court have consequences for employers liability. Employers were already hold liable for accidents as a result of unsafe working places. Since a few years employers are also hold liable for accidents of employers they can not affect (directly). Verdicts are based on the fact that the employer do not have sufficient insurance to financially protect the employee (like an accident insurance).
Responsibility for accidents moves more and more towards employers. Liability insurers respond to this sense of movement by extending cover on the liability policy. Some liability insurers even cover accidents in case the employer is not (held) liable at all, just to financially protect the employee (secondary benefits).
BeZaVa Act
12 May 2014
A new employer’s premium differentiation for WGA Fixed (fixed labour contracts), WGA Flex (temporary labour contracts) and ZW Flex (temporary labour contracts) is implemented per 1 January 2014.
Employers with a total wage of € 307.000 will pay fixed sector premiums to the tax forces. Employers with a total wage of € 307.001 or more will pay (partial) individual premiums to the tax forces. An individual premium means that companies will pay a higher premium if more employees file claims under the Sickness Benefits Act of the ZW and/or WGA.
Until 31 December 2015 WGA Fixed and WGA Flex have separate (sector) premiums. Employers can choose to get private insurance for WGA Fixed only. (For WGA Flex only public insurance is possible at the moment.) Per 1 January 2016 WGA Fixed and WGA Flex will be combined into one WGA premium and employers can choose for private insurance or public insurance.
For ZW Flex employers can already choose for private insurance or public insurance.
Change in fire recourse arrangement per 2014
12 May 2014
In The Netherlands the property insurer of a third party can recover a payment from a company, in case that company is held responsible for the fire damage. Until 2013 the maximum amount was € 500.000. Since 2014 there is no longer a limited amount. This means companies can be exposed to unlimited claims from property insurers.
An unlimited claim from a property insurer is possible in case of inaccurate acts or neglect. Our advice to companies is to check the cover of the liability insurance and to increase the insured sum of the liability insurance to at least € 2.500.000 per occurance.
Meeting members Eubronet in Istanbul
1 April 2014
In April 2014, 13 of the 16 country members of Eubronet, met in Istanbul, Turkey. It was a very valuable meeting. On the agenda exchange of developments in the economic field and in the insurance market in each country. It was also noted that the international business continues to grow and we get more and more principals that use the vision and professionalism of the Eubronet network.
Developments relating to broker fees
1 January 2013
In 2013 a new law came into force banning commission-based selling in relation to mortgages and ‘complex’ insurance products like pensions, life insurance and individual disability insurance; instead net premiums are offered. Separate Service Level Agreements are entered into and broker fees are agreed with clients.
The broker fees for these products no longer depend on the level and duration of the premium and insured sum, meaning insurance advisors will be more objective. Conversely, customers will pay more for products with limited premiums and separate fees.
The broker is legally obliged to justify commission-based invoices issued to customers or brokers have to agree fixed fees with clients.
Insurance tax
1 January 2013
On the 1st of January 2013, the insurance premium tax increased from 9.7% to 21%.