25.1.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC19/97
OpinionontheproposalforaCommissionRegulation (EEC)ontheapplicationofArticle
85(3)oftheTreatytocertaincategoriesofagreements,decisionsandconcertedpracticesin
theinsurancesector(M
(93/C19/25)
On22September1992theEconomicandSocialCommitteedecidedinaccordancewiththe
thirdparagraphofArticle20oftheRulesofProceduretodrawupanOpiniononthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon6November1992.The
RapporteurwasMrMourgues .
Atits301stPlenarySession(meetingof25November1992),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeunanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
TheCommitteeapprovesthedraftRegulationsubject
tothefollowingcomments .1.4.Thecategoriesofagreementcoveredbythedraft
exemptingRegulationinvolvetheestablishment of
commonriskpremiumtariffsbasedoncollectively
ascertainedstatisticsorthenumberofclaims,standard
policyconditions,thecommoncoverageofcertaintypes
ofrisksandthetestingandacceptanceofsecurity
devices.1.Introduction
2.Generalcomments1.1.On31May1991theCounciladoptedRegu­
lation(EEC)No1534/91(2),basedonArticle87(2)(b)
oftheEECTreaty,empoweringtheCommissionto
applyArticle85(3)oftheTreatytocertaincategories
ofagreementsintheinsurancesector.
1.1.1.Toenableeconomicandsocialoperatorsto
commentthereon,theCommissionpublishedthedraft
Regulationexemptingvariouscategoriesofagreements
inOfficialJournalNoC207of14August1992.
1.2.TheCommitteenotesthatitsOpiniononthe
enablingRegulation (3)wasbroadlyacceptedandthat
theCommission alsotookaccountofitinthedraft
exemptingRegulation .Nevertheless ,theESCisanxious
toapprisetheCommissionofvariousproposalsit
wouldliketoseeincorporatedinthefinalversionof
theRegulation .2.1.TheCommitteecongratulatestheCommission
oncompletingtheworknecessarytopermittheadop­
tionbefore31December1992ofaRegulationapplying
TreatyArticle85(3)totheinsurancesectorandthus
facilitatingcompanybehaviourastheInternalMarket
reachescompletion .
2.2.Giventhepotentialthreattocompetitionfrom
riskpremiumtariffs,theproposedtextmustnotbe
amendedinsuchawayastobelessfavourableto
policyholders.
1.3.Thankstoitsregularworkoncompetitionpol­
icy,includingitsannualOpinionsontheCommission
reports(4),theCommitteecanagreethattheCom­
missionhasacquiredsufficientexperienceinthetreat­
mentofindividualcasestoapplyArticle85(3)tocertain
agreementsbetweeninsurancecompanies .2.3.TheCommitteenotesthatasregardsriskpre­
miumstheCommissionseekstoprotectpolicyholders
(firmsandindividualconsumers )fromthedangerof
anticompetitive behaviourandunfairclauses(Articles
2,3and4).TheCommitteeinterpretsArticle2(a)as
meaningthatthecalculationofpurepremiumsistobe
basedexclusivelyonthecompilationofhistoricaldata;
itwouldwelcomeclarificationhere.IntheFrenchver­
sionofArticle4,'concentrer'shouldbereplacedby
'concerter'.
2.4.TheCommitteeagreeswiththerestrictionsto
beappliedtostandardpolicies(Articles6and7),but
wouldpointoutthatArticle6(2)mustnotleadtothe
standardization ofpremiums .(1)OJNoC207,14.8.1992.
(2)OJNoL143,7.6.1991,p.1.
(3)OJNoC182,23.7.1990,p.27.
(4)SeethepreviousOpinion.

NoC19/98 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 25.1.93
2.5.TheCommitteealsoendorsestheprovisionson
thecommoncoverageofcertaintypesofrisks(Articles
11,12and13).Thedefinitionsofeligibleclausesare
suchastoprotectpolicyholdersandprecludethe
formationofdominantmarketpositions,whichare
liabletobeabused.
3.Specificcomments
3.1.Irrespectiveofthedegreeofconsumerprotec­
tionofferedbytheprovisionsonstandardpolicycon­
ditions,theCommitteefavoursaprovisionstipulating
thatundernocircumstances mayapolicyholderbe
obligedtoacceptcontractclauseswhichhehasnot
approved,particularlyinthecaseofcontractamend­
mentsorsupplements .
3.2.Insurancecompaniessometimesrefusetocover
certainrisks,evenagainstpaymentofanadditional
premium.Althoughthisattitudecanbeexplainedby
legaluncertaintyinthefieldofcompulsoryinsurance,
suchrefusalshouldneverthelessbeaccompaniedbya
writtenexplanation .TheRegulationshouldimpose
suchaconditioninthestandardcontracts .3.3.TheCommitteereiteratesthatcooperationin
thefieldoftheverificationandacceptanceofsecurity
devicesmusttakeaccountofthestatutoryprovisions
laiddownbytheauthoritiesandneverfallshortof
theserequirements .
4.Conclusions
4.1.ThedraftRegulationguaranteesthatinsurance
companiesmarketproductsandserviceswhichare
compatiblewitheconomicandsocialrequirements ,
underconditionswhichareacceptabletoconsumers .
4.2.TheCommitteecallsontheCommission to
adoptatalaterdateprovisionsensuringthatclaimsare
settledmorequickly,possiblyviaclearingagreements
betweeninsurancecompanieswheremorethanoneare
concerned .
4.3.TheCommissionshouldalsotackletheprob­
lemsassociatedwithinsurancepoliciesusedtoguaran­
teeloans,e.g.inconnectionwiththepurchaseofreal
estate.
DoneatBrussels,25November1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN