Posts Tagged
EU
Sibylle Reichert joins AIM as Executive Director
Sibylle Reichert has joined the Association Internationale de la Mutualité/International Association of Mutuals (AIM) as of June, 2019. She remains based in Brussels, Belgium, where she has served as a Member of the Occupational Pension Stakeholder Group of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), and a Board Member of the European Association of Paritarian Institutions (AEIP). Reichert previously headed the Brussels Office of Pensioenfederatie (Federation of Dutch
“Retire Vitally” Conference – 24 January 2019
The Retire Vitally conference, where participants gathered to discuss best practices pertaining to retiring in good health in the European Union, was held 24 January 2019 at PGGM headquarters in Zeist, the Netherlands. The event was organized by AEIP, TELA (Finland) and PGGM (The Netherlands).
France Introduces Transitional Measures For a Hard Brexit
France in February 2019 published transitional (or emergency) measures related to insurance in case of a no-deal Brexit. As per the new rules, contracts may not be amended if additional premiums are collected renewals, including automatic renewals are not allowed payment of claims will not be considered a breach for at least the first 12 months The new rules apply to contracts covering French risks and entered into before
E.U. Pensions – The New IORP II Directive, Issues, Impacts and New Requirements
More than fifteen years ago, the first IORP Directive (Directive 2003/41/EC of the European parliament and of the Council of 3 June 2003 on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision) created a legal framework to support retirement services across Europe and protect members and beneficiaries. Since then, the financial crisis and other economical, demographical and social factors completely changed the conditions in Europe for retirement plans. The IORP II Directive (Directive (EU) 2016/2341 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision) is freshly conceived to respond to current conditions and better serve members.
The Brexit Insurance Relocation Tally
Insurer – Country of Destination – Date Announced – Source MS Amlin – Brussels – 28 June 2017 – Press release Lloyd’s of London – Brussels – QBE – Brussels – CNA Hardy – Luxembourg – RSA – Luxembourg – AIG – Luxembourg – FM Global – Luxembourg – Hiscox – Luxembourg – Liberty Mutual, Special Markets – Luxembourg – Admiral – Dublin – Beazley – Dublin – Chesnara –
UK employers to get ‘toolkit’ to help them register EU workers
The UK’s Home Office in August 2018 unveiled a package of briefing packs, posters and leaflets, the “EU Settlement Scheme: employer toolkit” to help staff from the EU to register for a new immigration status that will be legally required after Brexit. An estimated 3.5 million to 3.8 million EU citizens live and work in the UK. Among the employers and groups present at the launch were the British
E.U. High Level Group on Supplementary Pensions Members Announced
The European Commission in August 2018 announced the names of the ten members of its recently established “High Level Group on [supplementary] pensions”. The mission of the group is “to provide policy advice to the Commission on matters related to ways of improving the provision, safety through prudential rules, inter-generational balance, adequacy and sustainability of supplementary (occupational and personal) pensions in light of the challenges in the Union and
E.U. postpones Directive on insurance distribution
European Union (E.U.) Directive 2016/97, which regulates the distribution of insurance products and is intended to strengthen consumer protection, in February 2018 was postponed by a few months. The deadline for implementation, initially set to February 23, 2018, is now pushed back to October 2018. The deadline for transposition into national laws by E.U. Member States is extended to July 1, while the deadline for application is now October
Europeans and the US Tax Reform
Governments in Paris, Berlin, London, Madrid, and Rome sent a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin in mid-December 2017 warning him of the risk of tax treaty violations arising from the tax reform under discussion in the United States. If Donald Trump is relying heavily on the tax reform submitted to Congress in autumn − to rebuild his image − he is sending shudders through
Successful conclusion of E.U.-U.S. bilateral agreement on insurance and reinsurance
Following the successful conclusion in January 2017 of the bilateral agreement on insurance and reinsurance between the European Union and the U.S., industry body Insurance Europe welcomed the deal, supporting in particular the removal of the discriminatory collateral requirements that E.U. reinsurers were subject to when placing business in the U.S.. This change is expected to support bilateral trade in insurance and reinsurance. However, the National Conference of Insurance
Brexit: U.K.’s High Court ruling puts Parliament back in charge, could still be overturned
The U.K.’s High Court in November 2016 ruled that the British government could not trigger Article 50 of the E.U. Treaty, thereby setting off Brexit negotiations, without having Parliament voting on the matter first. The government has appealed the decision and the appeal will be heard in the U.K. Supreme Court in early December. The court stated it would deliver its judgment, which is final, “probably in the New
European Commission conducts personal pension product hearings
The European Commission in October 2016 conducted hearings with pension funds, asset managers, insurance undertakings, individuals, consumer associations, and public authorities to debate the need for a pan-European pension product. The panel debates allowed stakeholders to determine if EU action fostering the emergence of European personal pension products is appropriate as well as proportionate. At stake are simple, affordable, and transparent pension plans that provide better returns. More investment
New regulations ensure personal data protection for E.U. citizens
New regulations dealing with the protection of personal data for the citizens of the European Union went into effect on 25 May, 2016. E.U. General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) will fully replace Directive 95/35/EC in 2018, after a two-year transitional period. The new regulations, drawn up in 2012 for the purpose of ensuring a consistent and high level of protection of an individual’s personal data and rights, have
Major milestone completed for the RESAVER pan-European pension plan
Despite moving at what may seem sometimes as a glacial pace, RESAVER, the pan-European pension plan project, appears to have reached a major milestone. RESAVER, which is set up as a defined contribution (DC) scheme that will provide second-pillar pension benefits, selected its key operational components – namely its third-party service providers – in April 2016, paving the way for its launch. BlackRock has been selected as the asset
Brussels urges EU member states to support collective pension savings
European Union authorities signal a stronger commitment towards furthering the integration of private pension systems across Europe and extending the single market to insurance and pensions. In November 2015, the European Commission highlighted efforts by a number of countries in reforming their first-pillar pension systems, especially in the view of increased longevity. At the same time, it insisted that further steps needed to be taken by member states to
Mobility of Workers in the EU And Related Impact on Social Rights – Taking a Sector Approach to Pan-European Employee Benefits Plan: A Research-Based Study
Does it still make sense for a multinational company’s employee benefits plan to deal with 28 different social and tax legislations in the EU?
Does it make sense for a multinational company to set up as many employee benefits plans as the number of the EU countries in which it operates?