Bulgarian insurance market totaled BGN 2.88 billion (~EUR 1.47 billion) at the end of December 2020, down by 0.88% y-o-y, according to data from the Financial Supervision Commission - FSC.

Insurance brokers of Georgia ended 2020 with a total intermediated Premiums worth GEL 71.2 million, up by 37.4% y-o-y. In relation to the market total GWP, mediated premiums by brokers accounted for about 10.6%, up from 8.3% the previous year, data published by the market authority show.

AXA announced it is collaborating with Microsoft to build a digital healthcare platform, enabling a virtual healthcare system open to all. In the future, the platform aims to allow integration of third-party services, becoming an open, global service for healthcare providers and patients, regardless of whether they are AXA customers.

Aon launches innovative industry collaboration to protect global Covid-19 vaccine shipments and will donate all 2021 revenues from new solution to a charity dedicated to eradicating the global human and economic toll of the pandemic.

CROATIA Osiguranje has paid claims close to HRK 195 million (~EUR 26 million) for the losses caused by the two Croatian earthquakes last year, while at market level, total insured losses from the two events may amount to about HRK 600 million, Davor Tomaskovic, the company's CEO, has stated in an interview published by osiguranje.hr.

Italian insurer Generali announced that Tomasz KUKULA, former Head of Underwriting for Global Corporate & Commercial (GC&C) insurance at Generali Poland, has been promoted as GC&C Austria, CEE & Russia Regional Head of Underwriting. "He joined the Generali CEE Holding office in Prague and took over his new role as of 1 March 2021".

French insurance group AXA announces the appointment of Jef VAN IN, currently CEO of AXA Belgium, as CEO of AXA Next and Group Chief Innovation Officer, effective July 1.

The French reinsurer CCR Group (CCR - Public reinsurance and CCR Re) delivered FY 2020 aggregate GWP of EUR 1,866 million and EUR 90 million in consolidated net income.

Bulgarian financial holding Eurohold, the owner of Euroins Insurance Group - announce it will increase its capital by issuing new shares on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE), "which will allow the company to raise up to EUR 100 million.

Dutch insurer Aegon announced that Italian Elisabetta CALDERA will join Aegon as Chief Human Resources Officer, effective June 1, 2021. Elisabetta CALDERA will succeed Carla MAHIEU, who has decided to step down after more than a decade in the role (more details here).

Bulgarian insurers aggregate YE2020 net profits increased by 26.16% y-o-y to BGN 186.27 million (~EUR 95.24 million) due the 38.87% increase in non-life, the y-o-y rate reported by life insurers being negative: -26.59%, according to the Q4 2020 market figures published on the Financial Supervisory Commission website.

UK insurer Aviva announced the appointment of Cheryl TONER as Chief Customer and Marketing Officer.

The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) re-appoints BETTER FINANCE candidate Jella BENNER-HEINACHER as the only Board Member representing Retail Investors. She is the Deputy Chief Director of the Deutsche Schutzvereinigung fur Wertpapierbesitz (DSW) and BETTER FINANCE Vice-President.

A memorandum on mutual cooperation was signed between the Azerbaijani Insurers Association and the Agricultural Insurance Fund, as MENAFN informed.

The Italian Competition Authority (ICA) announced it cleared the acquisition by Intesa Sanpaolo, one of the main Italian banks, of two life insurance companies: Aviva Vita, with an about EUR 0.7 billion turnover, and Lombarda Vita, which has a EUR 0.5 billion turnover.

The 2020 crisis affected all spheres of the economy in one way or another. Some types of business fail completely, some, on the contrary, receive an additional incentive for development.

According to the MTIBU (Motor Transport Insurance Bureau of Ukraine), in 2020, Ukrainian drivers caused 2,729 accidents recorded abroad, which is 42.6% less than in 2019, the Bureau reports.

The National Bank of Tajikistan presented "The procedure for calculating the ratio of equity (capital) and liabilities of insurance (reinsurance) organizations", Avesta news agency reported.

For the first quarter of 2021, SBERBANK Life Insurance made 24,000 payments for insured events for a total amount of RUB 3.1 billion (EUR 34.93 million*). At the same time, the number of paid claims increased by 13% y-o-y, and total amount - by 38%, the insurer said in its press release.

The Russian non-life insurance market remained resilient to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and, according to S&P, this trend will continue in 2021 amid an improving macroeconomic environment, the agency said in its review.