Articles

Longevity risk in Europe

Longevity reinsurance is booming in the Netherlands. What are the drivers and will the rest of Europe follow suit? What occupation should you pursue if you want to live longest? According to the panel on longevity at Life-Re Europe, librarian

The European consolidation wave

It has been long talked about but consolidation could be coming to Europe in a big way as participants from Viridium and Frankfurter Leben discussed at Life-Re Europe.

The Regulators Angle

Regulatory certainty is key to a flourishing life reinsurance market. At Life-Re Europe, regulators showed receptivity to this newly emerging market development.

Europe’s need for AIR

Asset intensive reinsurance (AIR) has taken hold in life markets around the world. Europe, though, is a different story. But does Europe really need AIR?

The PRA’s funded re clampdown

Has the PRA crashed the funded re market? That is the question many are asking following its recent proposal to hit the UK’s funded re business with a 10% capital charge.

Life-Re Europe 2026 round-up

Life-Re Europe held its first event in April. From longevity to reinsurance, assets to regulations, the forum covered a manifold range of key topics for the European life insurance market.

Portugal: All about risk

Joao Santos, Managing Director of Risk at Fidelidade, offers a risk and capital perspective on Portugal’s life insurance market.

EIOPA: Driving European harmonisation

Dimitris Zafeiris, Head of Risks and Financial Stability Department at EIOPA, explains the key challenges the market faces, including PE and insurance, macro threats as well as life reinsurance in Europe.

Netherlands: A longevity model

The 2023 Netherlands Future of Pensions Act, which required all Dutch defined benefit pensions schemes to move to a defined contribution model by 1 January 2028, has been a major catalyst for what is now one of the biggest longevity risk transfer markets in Europe.

RGA’s asset intensive insight

RGA remains one of the few reinsurers to have transacted an asset intensive reinsurance deal in Europe. As Executive Vice Presidents Cormac Galvin, Head of EMEA, and Jonathan Porter, Global Chief Risk Officer, discuss, shifting life markets mean this is a long-term growth business.

Italy: Private equity can be a force for good

Italy has experienced one of the more negative episodes in the private equity-insurance saga in recent times. Despite this, PE can play a constructive role in the market, says Rita Laura D’Ecclesia, Member of the Board of Directors at the country’s regulator, IVASS.

Hungary: The regulator’s angle

Hungary has been focused on growing its life market – and according to Koppány Nagy, the National Bank of Hungary’s (MNB) director for Insurance, Pension Funds and Intermediaries Supervision, there is an upward trend being observed.

Switzerland: Exploring reinsurance

Switzerland has been at the vanguard of Europe’s asset intensive investigations. Daniel Weijand, Supervisory Policy & Legal Expertise at the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, FINMA, gives his take on where the market might be headed next.

Poland: Mass lapse potential

Poland is exploring the use of new techniques for its life insurance markets. But the make-up of the country’s life products means it will not be pushing into reinsurance anytime soon, the financial regulator, the KNF, says.

Germany: All about consolidation

Germany could be on the cusp of a consolidation boom, after the path was cleared for a significant back-book transaction this year. Analysts believe deals of about €25 billion will hit the market in 2026.

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