EU INSURANCE INDUSTRY ENJOYS STRONG GROWTH AFTER THIRD DIRECTIVES TAKE FORCE.

The years 1995 to 1997, the period immediately following the entry into force of the EU's Third Insurance Directives in mid-1994, brought steady growth both in life and non-life European insurance companies, according to figures recently released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. The total investments of life and non-life insurance enterprises as a percentage of gross premiums written increased strongly in EU-15 within the period: from 663% to 900% and from 140% to 243% respectively. In the 11-nation Euro zone, total...