Italy
DLG to sell international businesses to Spain's Mapfre
Direct Line Insurance Group has agreed to sell its Italian and German businesses to Spanish insurer Mapfre for €550m (£430.5m).
Mapfre reported to have bid €500m for DLG's Italian and German units
Direct Line Group is believed to have been offered €500m (£393.2m) by Spanish insurer Mapfre for its Italian and German operations.
Guy Carpenter rolls out new European hail model
Guy Carpenter has launched a probabilistic hail model for Europe.
Insurers behind banks on mobile offerings
Insurers continue to lag behind their banking counterparts when it comes to mobile websites and apps, according to research from CP consulting.
Sale of DLG's international units not set in stone, claims Geddes
Direct Line Group chief executive Paul Geddes has denied the sale of the insurer's Italian and German operations is a foregone conclusion, despite talks on offloading the international divisions gathering momentum.
Environmental guarantees sought as Costa Concordia prepares for final voyage
France’s environment minister is seeking environmental assurances from her Italian counterpart before giving permission for the Costa Concordia to be towed past the French island of Corsica on its way to Genoa for scrappage.
DLG reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ over German and Italian disposals
Direct Line Group is in advanced negotiations over the sale of its operations in Germany and Italy according a report from Reuters.
Costa Concordia may re-float this week
Wrecked cruise liner the Costa Concordia may be re-floated as soon as the end of this week as work continues to salvage the vessel.
Uninsured Italian vehicles hit 3.5 million
The number of uninsured vehicles on Italian roads reached 3.5 million in 2013, up from 3.1 million in 2013 according to the Italian association of insurance companies ANIA.
Generali names Parisi as Europ Assistance CEO
Italian insurance giant Generali has named Antoine Parisi as the new chief executive of travel and healthcare cover provider Europ Assistance.
Vodafone to acquire Italian telematics firm Cobra
Vodafone has launched a voluntary offer to acquire Italian telematics firm Cobra Automotive Technologies at €1.49 (£1.18) per share valuing the company at €145m.
Aviva simplifies Italian life joint ventures
Aviva has reached an agreement with UBI Banca and Unicredit to restructure its life joint ventures in Italy.
Generali expands Asia-Pacific business with Mitsui tie up
Italian insurer Generali has completed a deal to expand its operations in Asia and Oceania in partnership with Mitsui Sumitomo
Allianz agrees asset deal with Italian insurer Unipol Sai
Allianz is to buy part of Italian insurer Unipol Sai Assicurazioni’s property and casualty business in a deal worth up to €440m (£367m).
Swiss Re denies Agnelli family stake sale
Swiss Re has moved to distance itself from reports linking the business with the sale of as stake to Italy’s Agnelli family.
Three EU states fail to meet gender directive deadline
Three European states failed to meet the December 2012 deadline to implement legislation prohibiting the use of gender-based pricing, according to the EU insurance supervisor.
Fitch affirms Generali at A- with negative outlook
Fitch has confirmed the ratings of Italian insurance giant Generali, locking the insurer and its core subsidiaries’ Insurer Financial Strength score at A- with a negative outlook.
International: The key to protecting property
With economies recovering across Europe, the property market is beginning to show signs of movement again. But with the credit crunch still fresh in people’s memories, insurers are seeking to reassure those feeling cautious about property transactions.
Allianz seeking €1.2bn asset deal with Italian insurer
Italian insurer Unipol Gruppo Finanziario is considering a proposal from Allianz to buy €1.2bn (£987m) of insurance assets.
Generali backs Italian stem cell trial
Italian insurer Generali and research organisation Associazione Revert Onlus have begun a three-year partnership to support cell therapy clinical trial on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
International: Europe boards the telematics train
European powerhouse Germany is the latest country to show an appetite for collecting driving data. But the global spread isn’t stopping there.
European PI market to be worth £6.27bn by 2017
The professional indemnity insurance market across 10 European countries - Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK- will be worth around €7.5bn (£6.27bn)by 2017.
UK leads Europe for PI cover
The UK has the largest market for professional indemnity insurance in Europe according to research by Finaccord.
Generali on negative watch after S&P adjusts ratings criteria
Ratings agency Standard & Poor's has placed Italy’s Generali on credit watch with negative implications.