According to the results of the first half of 2021, the non-life insurance company ARX is the leader in the Ukrainian market, with GWP over UAH 1.6 billion/~EUR 49.5 million* (26% more y-o-y in UAH).

In January-June 2021, GWP of SBERBANK life insurance amounted to RUB 64 billion (~EUR 0.74 billion*), which is 38.3% more y-o-y. The largest share in the GWP portfolio still belongs to accumulative life insurance (ALI), however, the highest GWP growth was demonstrated by investment life insurance (ILI), the insurer said.

In January-June 2021, the Ukrainian MTPL market grew by 14% to UAH 3.3 billion/~EUR 0.1 billion*, Forinsurer reports with reference to the MTIBU (Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine). GWP under electronic MTPL contracts increased by 56% to UAH 1.7 billion.

GWP on credit insurance in Azerbaijan increased by more than seven times y-o-y as of beginning July 2021, Trend reports with reference to the reporting data of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA), which is the regulator of the insurance market.

The insurance sector of Armenia in the second quarter of 2021 returned from loss to profit, having received AMD 94 million, however, according to the 1H results, the companies ended the first half of the year with a loss.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Economy, the number of beneficiaries of the state agroinsurance program in Armenia reached 4,300, while in 2020 for the entire year only 1,500 contracts were concluded between farmers and insurance companies, as reported by Ira PANOSYAN, Head of the department for the development of agricultural programs of the Armenian Ministry of Economy, ArmInfo writes.

The gross written premiums (GWP) of the 15 Croatia-based insurers rose 13.13% y-o-y at the end of June 2021, reaching HRK 6.40 billion (EUR 855 million), according to the half-year figures published on the Croatian Insurance Bureau (CIB) website.

According to the H12021 market statistics published by Albanian Financial Supervisory Authority (AFSA), the gross written premiums of Albanian insurers amounted to over ALL 8.86 billion (~EUR 72.28 million), or 17.53% more compared to January-June 2020.

At the same time, the number of concluded insurance contracts reached 467,511 registering an increase of 7.48% compared to January-June 2020.

The insurance market continued to be oriented towards non-life insurance, which brought 92.34% share of the total premium volume, leaving life insurance with 7.65% share of the total premium volume., as AFSA representatives pointed out in a statement published on its website.

On 12 August 2021, the European Commission decided to grant competition clearance to the acquisition of the Aegon business in Central and Eastern Europe (Hungary, Poland and Romania) by Vienna Insurance Group AG Wiener Versicherung Gruppe (VIG), the Austrian group announced.

North Macedonia-based insurer Triglav Osiguruvanje, which is part of Slovenian insurance group Triglav, said that it recorded a net loss of MKD 17.6 million (EUR 0.38 million) in the first half of 2021 (vs a net profit of MKD 30.5 million for the same period last year), SeeNews reports.

Bosnia's Grawe Osiguranje Sarajevo, a member of Austrian insurance group Grawe, said its net profit rose to BAM 3.3 million (EUR 1.7 million euro) in the first half of 2021 (vs BAM 2.8 million in 1H2020, almost 18% up), SeeNews wrote.

As of July 31, 2021, 160 non-life insurers (vs 162 as of June 30) and 17 life insurers (vs 19) operate in the Ukrainian market, i.e. in a month, the number of insurance companies decreased by 4, Forinsurer reports.

Financing of the program of state support for agroinsurance, which means providing funds from the state budget to agricultural producers in the form of reimbursement of up to 60% of the cost of insurance policies, has been allocated at the level of UAH 240 million (~EUR 7.58 million), Forinshurer said.

In the first half of 2021, the number of appeals to the Financial Ombudsman for Disputes of Clients of MTPL insurers decreased by 15.5% y-o-y and amounted to 65,579, as reported by the Chief Financial ombudsman Yuri VORONIN, as ASN reports.

The Expert RA rating agency has improved insurance financial strength rating of ROSGOSSTRAKH Life to ruAA with a stable outlook. Previously, the company had a rating at the ruAA- level with a stable outlook, the insurer said.

Financial and insurance group Eurohold Bulgaria aims to acquire the remaining 33% shareholding interest in Sofia-based CEZ Distribution and CEZ Electro for a total of BGN 219.2 million (EUR 112 million), SeeNews informed.

In the first six months of the year, GWP on voluntary cargo insurance in Azerbaijan decreased by 24.5% y-o-y and amounted to about AZN 2.6 million/~EUR 1.3 million* (vs AZN 3.5 million by the end of June 2020), Trend reports with reference to the statistics of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA).

Azerbaijan's A-Qroup insurance company has been included in the register of members of the Union of Legal Entities of the Compulsory Insurance Bureau (CIB) of the country, Trend reported referring to the CIB. And the number of CIB participants has reached 19.

Munich Re generated a profit of EUR 1,695m in the first half of 2021. The impact of COVID-19-related losses on reinsurance business came to EUR 505 million, out of which EUR 203 million was attributable to the property-casualty segment and EUR 302 million to life and health reinsurance.

German insurance group Talanx announced its half year operating profit increased to EUR 1.3 billion vs. EUR 0.7 billion a yar before. "Coronavirus effects substantially lower than in the first half of 2020", as the insurer announced in a statement.