The block exemption regulation in the insurance sector, which provides exemptions from the EU rules on anti-competitive practices under certain conditions for certain types of cooperation in this sector, will expire on 31 March 2017, the European Commission stated on Tuesday 13 December. This settles the debate it has had over several months on the possibility of prolonging the regulation.
As long ago as 2010, the Commission concluded that two of the four exemptions authorised under the regulation were no longer relevant. In March, preliminary conclusions indicated that it would decide not to extend the remaining two exemptions. These concern agreements between insurance companies concerning the pooling of information and tables and the joint commissioning of studies, but also the creation of co-insurance or co-reinsurance groups.
Other guidelines published in 2011 already offer orientations on these issues. Furthermore, the recent public consultation showed that the exemption for coinsurance and co-reinsurance groups was little used and ineffective.
The expiry of the regulation does not mean that as of April 2017, these types of cooperation will become illegal with regard to the EU competition rules, the Commission explains. However, the insurance sector will have to evaluate any potential collaboration to ensure that it is in line with the anti-trust rules. The Commission has pledged to follow the market closely and to monitor the way in which insurance companies adapt to the change. (Original version in French by Élodie Lamer)