The Belgian insurance industry was adversely affected by the global financial crisis and continued to confront challenges related to legacy assets and economic uncertainties in Europe. The Belgian authorities have made significant progress in updating the insurance regulatory regime and...

This paper presents assessment results for the current state of the implementation of the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision (BCP) in Spain. It found that significant changes have occurred in Spain since the last Financial Sector Assessment Program. The most serious has been...

This report discusses key findings of the Financial Sector Stability Assessment on Canada. Canada’s financial system successfully navigated the global financial crisis, and stress tests suggest that major financial institutions would continue to be resilient to credit, liquidity, and...

This paper discusses key findings of the Detailed Assessment of Observance of International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Insurance Core Principles for the United States. Most U.S. insurers write primary insurance on U.S. risks. The U.S. market is characterized by low market...

The staff report highlights that the insurance sector in Sweden is well developed and mature. The captive insurance segment is mainly driven by tax advantages. This assessment provides an update on the significant regulatory and supervisory developments in the insurance sector of Sweden since...

The insurance industry in Australia has weathered the global financial crisis well and was resilient to the catastrophic events in 2010/11. The insurance industry is mature but relatively small compared to the banking sector. Assets held by insurers represented only about 8 percent of the...

This Working Paper is a detailed assessment of Japan’s compliance with the Insurance Core Principles of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors. The paper identifies a reduction in interest rates and equity prices as two factors that influence the structure and functioning...

This paper discusses key findings of the Detailed Assessment of Observance of Insurance Core Principles for France. The assessment reveals that insurance regulation and supervision are still predominantly carried out using a Solvency I approach. The insurance sector remained resilient through...

Significant legislative changes and regulatory developments have taken place in the Netherland’s insurance sector. The initial Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) and the current assessment are benchmarked against the Insurance Core Principles (ICPs) issued in 2003. Progress has...

Insurance regulation in South Africa is sound and takes a thorough approach to regulation, recognizes the scale and development of the market, and the need for effective market conduct as prudential regulation. There are particular challenges in improving standards of market conduct, in both...