Il-vuċi tal-konsumaturi għandha tingħata widen fir-reviżjoni tas-settur tal-Assigurazzjoni – Alfred Sant

Fid-dibattitu dwar il-futur sostenibbli tas-settur Ewropew tal-Assigurazzjoni, il-vuċi tal-konsumaturi, tal-investituri żgħar u ta’ dawk kollha li għandhom polza tal-assigurazzjoni, jinħtieġ li jinstemgħu u jingħataw il-piż dovut għax dan sa issa ma kienx il-każ, qal l-Ewroparlamentari Laburista Alfred Sant waqt laqgħa ta’ grupp ta’ ħidma speċjalizzat dwar is-servizzi finanzjarji.

Waqt li kien qed jindirizza lill-Grupp Kangaroo, entita’ ddedikata sabiex jitneħħew l-ostakli għall-moviment liberu ta’ merkanzija, servizzi, persuni u kapital fl-Unjoni Ewropea, Alfred Sant qal li għall-fini tal-konsumaturi u dawk li għandhom il-poloz tal-assigurazzjoni, qafas rivedut għall-futur għandu  jara li jitjiebu l-kwalita’ tad-dejta, il-koerenza kif ukoll it-trasparenza.

Il-Kummissjoni Ewropea bħalissa qed tikkunsidra l-possibbiltà li tirrevedi r-regolament delegat Solvency 2. Fil-kuntest ta’ din ir-reviżjoni, bagħatet żewġ sejħiet għal parir tekniku lill-Awtorità Ewropea tal-Assigurazzjoni u l-Pensjonijiet (EIOPA).

Fl-intervent tiegħu, Alfred Sant qal li kienet vera li l-persistenza ta’ rati tal-imgħax baxxi u negattivi, kif ukoll il-pandemija tal-Covid, ħolqu nċertezzi li huma ta’ tħassib dirett għall-assiguraturi u r-regolaturi tagħhom.

“Madankollu n-natura tal-kritika ppreżentata, tindika li d-diverġenzi fl-apprezzament imorru aktar fil-fond. L-assiguraturi jsostnu fost oħrajn, li s-Solvency 2 kienet nieqsa mill-proporzjonalità, kienet burokratika wisq, introduċiet rappurtar tqil u bla bżonn u ħolqot inibizzjonijiet għall-possibbiltajiet ta’ investiment għall-assigurazzjonijiet”.

“B’kuntrast, l-EIOPA, il-korp li jirregola l-assigurazzjoni fl-Ewropa, fl-opinjoni tagħha, iddikjara li ftit hemm bżonn li jinbidel fil-qafas tas-Solvency 2, ħlief għall-proċeduri sekondarji. Min-naħa l-oħra, l-assiguraturi jsostnu li jekk il-parir tal-EIOPA jiġi segwit, ikun hemm aktar regolamentazzjoni żejda li tkompli tnaqqas il-vantaġġ kompetittiv tal-assiguraturi Ewropej globalment u l-propensjoni tagħhom li jinvestu ”, spjega Alfred Sant.

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The voice of consumers and policyholders should be given weight in a review of the Insurance sector

In the debate about the sustainable future of the European Insurance sector, the voice of consumers, small time investors and policyholders will need to be heard and given all due weight as this has not been the case up to now, Labour MEP Alfred Sant told a specialised working group on financial services.

Addressing the Kangaroo Group, an advocacy body devoted to the notion of removing obstacles to the free movement of goods, services, people and capital in the European Union, Alfred Sant said that for the sake of consumers and policy holders, data quality, transparency and understandability should be improved in a reviewed future framework.

The European Commission is currently considering the possibility of reviewing the Solvency 2 delegated regulation. In the context of this review, it has sent two calls for technical advice to the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA).

In his intervention, Alfred Sant said it was true the persistence of low and then negative interest rates, as well as the Covid pandemic, have muddied the waters and created uncertainties that are of direct concern to insurers and their regulators.

“However the nature of the critiques presented, indicate that divergences in appreciation go deeper. Insurers claim among others, that Solvency 2 has been lacking in proportionality, has been too bureaucratic, has introduced heavy and unnecessary reporting and has inhibited investment possibilities for insurances”.

“By contrast EIOPA, the body that regulates insurance in Europe, has, in its Opinion, claimed that little needs to be changed to the Solvency 2 framework, except for secondary procedures. On the other hand, insurers claim that if EIOPA’s advice is followed, there will be more over-regulation that will further decrease the competitive edge of European insurers globally and their propensity to invest”, Alfred Sant explained.