17/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - Petra Sneijrs' report on Insurance Services Statistics published by Eurostat's "Statistics in Focus" signals an increase in premiums written generated in 1999 by European insurance companies of some 50% compared to 1995, with premiums amounting to 756 198 million euro (German specialist reinsurance companies representing ¾ of EU premiums written, even though they only represent 10.9% of European specialist reinsurance companies). The report stipulates that, in 1999, the European insurance market was composed of 3,853 companies, 56.8% of which non-life insurers and 27.1% life insurers, as well as 6.2% mixed insurers and 10% specialist reinsurance companies. British life insurers represented nearly 30% of all EU life insurers, while the non-life market did not register a dominant market in terms of number of enterprises. In addition, motor vehicle insurance represented slightly over a third of EU non-life insurance premiums, closely followed by health and accident insurance. The share of motor vehicle insurance varies between 23.3% in the Netherlands and 60.4% in Italy, whereas accident and health is the dominating product in Germany (35.8%) and the Netherlands (46.3%) and fire insurance in Denmark (40.8%).

(Petra Sneijers, eurostat/D2, L-2920 Luxembourg. E-mail: Petra.sneijers@cec.eu.int).