Pursuant to the European Parliament and Council Regulation no. 1094/2010 of 24 November 2010 establishing the European Insurance and Occupational Authority (EIOPA) and, given the resignation of one of the members (academic) of the Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group effective as of 1st January 2012, EIOPA is now calling for expression of interest from potential stakeholders from the academic community.

The gross written premiums (GWP) of Eastern Insurance and Reinsurance Company (EIRC) reached EUR 17.7 million in 2011. Moreover, the reinsurance business generated 53% of the total income, while 47% came from direct insurance.

MetLife has acquired from AVIVA its life insurance businesses in the Czech Republic (AVIVA Czech Life) and Hungary (AVIVA Hungary Life), and its life insurance and pension businesses in Romania (AVIVA Romania Life and Pensions). "This transaction is consistent with AVIVA's strategy to focus on markets where it has strength and scale", the company announced in a press release.

SWISS Re's Board of Directors appoints Michel LIES, currently Chairman Global Partnerships at SWISS Re, as new Group Chief Executive Officer as of 1 February 2012. Michel LIES succeeds Stefan LIPPE.

WILLIS Group Holdings, the global insurance broker, announced the appointment of John CAVANAGH as CEO Willis Re, the reinsurance broking arm of WILLIS Group. CAVANAGH succeeds Steve HEARN, who was appointed Chairman and CEO WILLIS Global last December.

Solvency II may not be implemented until 2015 - two years later than planned, according to a report in the Financial Times Deutschland.

We are finally looking to the "big CEE picture" for 3Q2011. Denominated in European currency, the total figures show a decrease of 0.7% in written premiums, to EUR 24.72 billion. Beside the obvious market shrinking registered in Croatia, Hungary and Romania, most of the negative regional trend came from the significant depreciation of the national currencies in countries as Poland and Hungary, which affected the results' conversion in Euro. A rough estimate shows that the weighted nominal growth of the CEE insurance market - calculated in local currencies - stood at about 4.28%.

According to the preliminary results, in the financial year 2011 VIENNA INSURANCE Group earned premiums written of EUR 9 billion, representing an increase of 3.4% compared to 2010. In the non-life insurance segment VIG increased premiums written by 4.9% to EUR 5.1 billion. Despite the difficult economic environment, in the life insurance business the Austrian Group reported a total of EUR 3.9 billion, achieving a growth of 1.4%.

Starting January 1st, 2012, the Croatian subsidiary of the Italian insurer GENERALI has a new CEO. Georg ENGL replaced Michele CIRIECO in all managerial and statutory positions. According to the group web-site, CIRIECO left the company to take new assignments within GENERALI Group. Previous, Georg ENGL had the position of Member of the Management Board of GENERALI osiguranje.

"In 2012, the TRIGLAV Group will generate EUR 60.6 million in net profit and earn a total of 984 million in gross written premium", announced the company in early January. At the same time, combined ratio target is set at 95.3%.

A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to A+ (Superior) from A (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) to "aa-" from "a+" of Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd  (Swiss Re) (Zurich, Switzerland) and its subsidiaries. Concurrently, A.M. Best has upgraded the senior and subordinated debt of Swiss Re and its subsidiaries. The outlook for all ratings has been revised to stable from positive.

A.M. Best Europe - Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of B+ (Good) and issuer credit rating of "bbb-" of Russian Reinsurance Company JSC (Russian Re) (Russia). The outlook for both ratings is stable.

A.M. Best Europe - Rating Services Limited has upgraded the issuer credit rating to "bb+" from "bb" and affirmed the financial strength rating of B (Fair) of OJSC Transsiberian Reinsurance Corporation (Transsib Re) (Russia). The outlook for both ratings remains stable.

SWISS Re's Board of Directors announced that Stefan LIPPE has decided to step down as Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Re in the course of 2012. "A successor is planned to be appointed soon", the reinsurance group said in the press release.

The net profit after tax reported by the Slovenian reinsurance group SAVA Re, at September 30, 2011, amounted EUR 7.1 million, representing an increase of 344%, compared to the similar period of last year. At the same time, gross premiums written fell by 2.2% y-o-y to EUR 110.9 million in the first three quarters 2011.

During the first nine months of 2011 EUROINS Insurance Group realized consolidated gross written premium at the amount of BGN 154.9 million (EUR 79.2 million), compared to BGN 183.2 million (EUR 93.7 million) for the same period in 2010. According to the company, "the main reason for the decrease is MTPL insurance in Romania, where the dumping practices on the market in 2011 led to loss of clients by EUROINS Romania and a 31% for this line of business.

Emerging market economies have overall continued to grow robustly in 2011, by an average of 5.8% (+7.7% in 2010). However, growth has midly slowed in the second half of the year, due to hightened concernerns about the debt crisis in Europe and the health of the US economy, says Swiss Re in a recent report released by the company, "Global Insurance review 2011 and outlook 2012/13".

The net profit of Zavarovalnica TRIGLAV for the first nine months of this year was EUR 35.0 million, representing an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period of 2010, while the profit before tax amounted to EUR 51.0 million. In non-life insurance, net profit increased by 19% to EUR 31.5 million, whereas in life insurance the company recorded EUR 3.6 million in profit, or 36% less than in 2010.

The UNIQA Group's profit on ordinary fell to EUR -181 million at the end of September due to significant one-off effects of write-downs of Greek government bonds and investments in the restructuring of the group. "As announced, these one-off effects will also negatively influence the annual result for 2011, which will be between EUR -250 million and EUR -300 million", announced today the Austrian insurance group.

In the third quarter of 2011 SWISS Re reports a net income of USD 1.3 billion, representing a 118% increase, compared to the same period of previous year. "All segments contributed to these results, which were supported by a moderate natural catastrophe experience and positive one-offs. Return on equity was 20.5% (compared to 9.5% in the prior-year period), ensuring Swiss Re remains well on track to achieving its 2011- 2015 financial targets", the reinsurance group said in the press release.