The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has published the list of Internationally Active Insurance Groups (IAIGs) headquartered in the EU. 

IAIGs are the focus of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Common Framework for the Supervision of Internationally Active Insurance Groups (ComFrame). ComFrame identifies an IAIG as being an insurance group that meets two criteria, related to its international activity and size.

The list is based on information from those European group-wide supervisors that have shared with EIOPA their own list as of 12 May 2020, according to the criteria and cases set out in ComFrame (23.0.a  and 23.0.b).

The insurance groups identified as of 12 May 2020 as Internationally Active Insurance Groups (IAIG) headquartered in the EU are:

• Aegon N.V.
• Ageas SA/NV
• Allianz SE
• Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. 
• Grupo Mapfre
• HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie V.a.G.
• Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft in München
• NN Group N.V.
• Vienna Insurance Group AG Wiener Versicherung Gruppe

Additional lists of European IAIGs are expected to be published soon.

The list is for informational purposes and should be used only in conjunction with ComFrame.
This list may be subject to change. For the up to date list of IAIG,s please check  List of Internationally Active Insurance Groups (IAIGs) headquartered in the EU .

The European Union, witnessing the continued escalation of violence in Libya, renews its call for a truce, as the United Nations did on the eve of Ramadan with the European Union’s backing.

The European Union demands that all parties act responsibly and immediately cease the fighting all over Libya, which is first and foremost affecting civilians, including migrants, and is placing them at even greater risk. It urges all parties having committed to a truce and a negotiated ceasefire to follow-up on these commitments. It also reminds the parties that they must respect international law, including international humanitarian law, and that those who violate it will be held accountable.

The European Union urges all parties to protect civilians, including migrants and refugees, by allowing and facilitating a safe, rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and services to all those affected.

The European Union remains determined to see the UN arms embargo in Libya fully respected. It recalls that Operation EUNAVFOR Med Irini, approved by the Council on 31^st March, aims at implementing the UN arms embargo in line with the relevant UNSC resolutions through naval, aerial and satellite assets. It underlines that all efforts must be made to ensure the full and effective implementation of relevant UNSC resolutions, also through the land and air borders with Libya.

The European Union calls on all parties to the conflict in Libya to cooperate without further delay, with a view to implement a lasting ceasefire confirming as soon as possible their agreement on the draft discussed at the joint military committee held in Geneva on 23^rd February 2020, within the framework of the joint military committee.

The truce must proceed hand in hand with an immediate resumption of UN-brokered talks between the parties, and in full respect of the Libyan Political Agreement. There is no alternative to an inclusive political solution reflecting the conclusions of the Berlin conference, as confirmed by UNSC Resolution n°2510.

In order to facilitate the quick resumption of political talks among the Libyan parties, the EU hopes that a successor to Ghassam Salame as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya can be appointed as soon as possible and urges all States to cooperate with the UN in the political process

The European Union reiterates its commitment to the sovereignty, unity and stability of Libya and to international law.

May 12, 2020 About the EUIPO

HDB: over half of applicants have EUTM classification pre-accepted

Approximately half of all direct EUTM applications at EUIPO are now fully classified automatically via the Harmonised Database (HDB) system.

The HDB contains goods and services terminology  that has already been pre-approved by all national and regional intellectual property offices in the EU. Terms chosen from the HDB are automatically accepted at EUIPO.

This increases predictability for applicants, who can select terms from the HDB with the security of knowing that those terms will be accepted. For even greater predictability, applicants can check the Similarity tool, which uses terms from the HDB, and which allows EUIPO customers to know how the Office will assess the degree of similarity between goods and/or services in ex-parte proceedings.

The HDB is integrated into EUIPO’s own e-filling system and into TMclass.

The coronavirus outbreak is testing the EU in ways that would have been unthinkable only months ago. Along with the human cost of lives lost, the hit to the EU economy has been severe. Ahead of a vote on plans to revise the EU’s post-2020 budget, the chair of Parliament’s budget committee Johan Van Overtveldt warned the economic recovery would be “slow and gradual” and that the prediction of a 7.5% decline in economic activity this year is a “mild forecast”.

EU response to the coronavirus

In an interview on Parliament’s Facebook page, the Belgian ECR member noted there is still a great deal of incertitude: “Not even in wartime has economic life come to a halt with such suddenness. There is so much uncertainty: will there be a relapse? Will there be a second round of lockdowns? What will the mood of investors and consumers be?”

Since the outset, the EU has been mobilising all means available to help member states reinforce their health sectors and mitigate the socio-economic impact of the virus. Parliament has also called for a larges-cale recovery package to support Europe’s economy after the crisis. Van Overtveldt stressed that this must be embedded in the EU’s long-term budget: “The recovery fund should be substantial but it should also be part of the next [ budget], for 2021-2027 and not something apart.”

Need for contingency plans

With the EU’s current long-term budget set to end in December, Van Overtveldt underlined the importance of a contingency plan in case of failure to reach agreement on the post-2020 budget in time: “When we get into June, time becomes short to get the [budget] approved and up and running in time and a discontinuity of current EU programmes would be very bad for citizens and for the reputation and political coherence of the EU.”

The budget committee chair urged other EU institutions to take note of Parliament’s stance: “The consent of Parliament has to be obtained and that surely is much less a sure thing than it was with the outgoing [long-term budget], so the Commission and Council should take notice of what the Parliament is aiming for. In the interest of citizens, Parliament will ensure that the [long-term budget] and recovery fund are the best possible responses to the severe crisis we see now and that will have consequences for many years.”

Solidarity and responsibility

Commenting on comparisons between the Covid-19 recovery and the post-war Marshall Plan, Van Overtveldt said: “At this point, what has been done by Europe and certainly when the recovery fund to the tune of let’s say €1 trillion comes on top, we will be doing more than was done with the Marshall Plan.”

The European Commission is expected to table proposals on the recovery fund shortly, but there are already deep divisions on, for example, whether countries should be given loans or grants. In order to find a solution that can be agreed by all sides, Van Overtveldt said there must be a compromise: “There has to be solidarity, certainly, vis-à-vis the countries hardest hit by Covid-19, but there also has to be responsibility. Just throwing money around is never a solution. The big challenge will be to find the right balance.”

Greening the economy

The need for a significant stimulus to reboot the EU economy comes at a time when voices calling for increased green investment are also on the rise. Parliament is insisting that climate action is at the core of the post-pandemic recovery. Van Overtveldt described the Commission’s Green Deal as “a start”, but warned that the proposals are “incomplete and dangerously underfinanced”.

He also referred to the potential for “greening” the EU economy through agriculture and cohesion funding which account for roughly two thirds of the EU budget. He stressed the importance of improving the resilience of the EU economy, and making it better equipped to deal with emergencies like Covid-19: “What it’s all about at the end of the day is what you can achieve to increase the wellbeing and welfare of EU citizens. That’s the only relevant issue.”

Watch the full interview with budget committee chair Johan Van Overtveldt.

Parliament votes this week on a resolution on the EU’s planned new long-term budget. To ensure democratic scrutiny and accountability, MEPs will insist on safeguarding Parliament’s role.

MEPs are also expected to request that the Commission prepares a contingency plan to avoid disruption for farmers, companies and organisations counting on EU funds in the event that approval of the long-term budget is delayed.

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A new European Asylum Support Office (EASO) Special Report highlights that the risk of COVID-19 taking hold in lower income countries, as well as leading to more insecurity, could result in increases in asylum applications in the medium term.

The Special Report examines the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on current and potential future asylum trends. The information therein is valid as of 7 May 2020 and follows data published on 30 April 2020 which shows a dramatic 43% decline in asylum applications in the EU+ in March.

The report finds that, following the outbreak of COVID-19, which is disproportionately concentrated in the developed world, travel bans and other emergency measures have almost completely eliminated the number of asylum applications being lodged in the EU+.

Analysis of open data on the nature and extent of general emergency measures, suggests that the number of national measures was a strong predictor of the extent to which applications were reduced – in other words, countries that implemented the most emergency measures in March also had the largest drop in applications.

Overall, available data seems to suggest that low and lower-middle income countries may be at higher risk of latent COVID-19 outbreaks. The main countries of origin of applicants for asylum in the EU+ have medium to high vulnerability to hazards (including infections) and suffer from a lack of coping capacity. Similarly, the main countries of origin also have far fewer hospital beds and medical doctors per capita. Combined with lacking access to handwashing facilities, crowded living conditions and low levels of literacy, the risk of destabilising effects resulting from COVID-19 outbreaks have the potential to affect future asylum trends.

At the same time, the suspension of global coalition operations across the Middle East has left a power gap that ISIS is looking to exploit. Being self-contained and living in remote hideouts, ISIS is already socially isolated and well-prepared for lockdowns. Since local troops are poorly equipped, and distracted by disaster relief and enforcing nationwide curfews, the international community may return to a regrouped and more active ISIS across much of the region.

Such a scenario, combined with the potential for food shortages and security destabilisation should COVID-19 take hold in lower income countries, could lead to increases in asylum-related migration in the medium term.

In the interests of early warning and preparedness, national asylum and reception authorities should reflect upon the medium to high risk that the outbreak will eventually take hold in lower income countries which are historically the source of most asylum seekers in the EU+.  In turn, indirect (such as a resurgence of ISIS) and direct consequences (famine, conflict and security risks) of the virus might affect asylum-related migration to the EU+, and contribute the most to new applications or the reception population.

Any further information may be obtained from the European Asylum Support Office on the following email address: press@easo.europa.eu.