For the first quarter of 2020, Swiss Re Group reported consolidated net premiums earned of USD 9,586 million, 7.3% more year-on-year. At the same time, the group registered a net loss of USD 225 million, reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the underwriting and mark-to-market unfavourable valuation of Phoenix Group Holdings plc shares.

Slovenian insurance industry totaled EUR 2.52 billion at the end of 2019, 7.53% more y-o-y according to the Slovenian Insurance Association's year-end report. Non-life insurance made up 70% of total GWP, while the share of life insurance premiums was 30%.

For the first quarter of 2020, SCOR, one of the largest global reinsurers, reported a consolidated net income of EUR 162 million, 23.7% higher that the same period of prior year.

Insurance Europe has published its response to a roadmap consultation by the European Commission on its upcoming report on the review of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

S&P Global Ratings believes that despite the economic and financial fallout from the pandemic and decreased oil prices, Russian insurers will remain resilient to the consequences, the agency said in its press-release.

The National Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Companies in Romania - UNSAR announced that last year, the local insurance market paid daily insurance compensations and benefits of over EUR 3.46 million, informed 1asig.ro.

In the first quarter of 2020, Russian MTPL GWP increased by 2.3% year-on-year, reaching RUB 47 billion (~EUR 0.55 billion*). MTPL paid claims increased as well by 3.9% y-o-y, to RUB 38.2 billion, ASN reports citing the data of Russian Association of Motor Insurers (RAMI) press service.

In February 2020, life insurers of Kazakhstan generated GWP worth KZT 14.8 billion (~EUR 35.2 million), which is 49.2% more y-o-y, as lifeinsurance.kz reports.

Swiss Re and AXA have announced that Stefan LIPPE, Swiss Re's Group CEO from 2009 to 2012 and AXA'S Director and head of the Audit Committee after that, passed away earlier this week, at 65, of complications from Covid-19.

For the first quarter of 2020, the GWP of Ukrainian TAS insurance group increased by 20.2% y-o-y. The total amount of GWP reached UAH 478.21 million (~EUR 15.8 million*), Forinsurer reports.

According to recent updates from the Croatian government, the 5.5 magnitude earthquake that hit Zagreb on March 22, 2020 caused damages estimated at HRK 42 billion (~EUR 5.56 billion*).

The insurance industry in Tajikistan is developing with new participants entering the market. However, public awareness of insurance and principles of the insurance activities remains low, although, according to SPITAMEN Insurance, the basic insurance principles are almost no different from the global ones, ASIA-Plus writes.

Tax payments of Armenian insurers to the state budget for 1Q2020 decreased by 15.6% y-o-y, to AMD 534.7 million (~EUR 0.97 million).

SCOR has been informed of Fitch's decision to affirm the Group's Financial Strength Rating of 'AA-' (Very Strong) and Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'A+'. Fitch has also affirmed the ratings of SCOR's core operating subsidiaries. The Outlooks are Stable.

Reinsurer VIG Re, part of Austrian insurance group VIG reported FY2019 total premium volume of EUR 527 million, up by 15.4% y-o-y - exceeding for the first time the EUR 500 million benchmark. At the same time, the company FY2019 profit before tax increased by 0.3% y-o-y to EUR 22.6 million while the reported combined ratio of 96% is 3.5 percentage points above 2018 level.

As of January 1^st, 2020, 16 insurance organizations and 30 insurance brokers were active on the insurance market of Belarus. Total number of insurers has not changed compared to 2018, according to the data of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic.

Vancho BALEN and Luka BABIC are the two new members appointed in the Management Board of Croatia Osiguranje on 19 April, effective immediately. Their mandates will last until 2022 end-year.

At the end of 2019 the Ukrainian insurance market saw an increase of 7.36% year-on-year, to UAH 53 billion, while in European currency its growth was almost 29% thanks to a more favorable rate compared to 2018*, to a little over EUR 2 billion threshold.

During 2019, insurance companies in Latvia grossed EUR 856.73 million in premiums, up by 13.36% against 2018, while the amount paid in indemnities grew 35.40 % y-o-y to EUR 549.42 million, according to the figures published by The Financial and Capital Market Commission of Latvia (FKTK).

French reinsurer SCOR informed that at April 1, 2020 reinsurance renewals, SCOR Global P&C GWP up for renewal by 5.7% at constant exchange rates to EUR 504 million, while benefitting from broadly improving market conditions as evidenced by a 6.6% overall increase in pricing.