WHY COB MATTERS: A pivotal partner for Insurance Europe across time and challenges
As part of our celebrations to mark the 75th Anniversary of COB, we wanted to recognise the key organisational relationships that have been fostered and nurtured over the years.
We felt this was an ideal opportunity to provide some insight on the nature of these vital collaborations and the important role they play in the ongoing operation of COB.
Insurance Europe and COB have a longstanding history of cooperation, consistently joining forces to reach common objectives. We deeply value and rely on this partnership every day. Therefore, we are grateful to Insurance Europe for providing the article below.
COB extends our thanks to Mr. Nicolas Jeanmart, Head of Personal and General Insurance Department at Insurance Europe for his valuable contribution.
In the dynamic landscape of mobility, marked by evolving risks and challenges, by an ever-changing and increasingly complex regulatory environment, and influenced by the currently uncertain geopolitical context, COB has consistently proven to be a pivotal partner for Insurance Europe. Our longstanding history of collaboration reflects mutual respect for each other's mission and organisation, as well as a shared commitment to addressing existing and emerging changes in the mobility insurance sector.
Over nearly three quarters of a century (Insurance Europe’s predecessor, the CEA, was established in 1953), the partnership between COB and Insurance Europe has stood out as a crucial force aimed at facilitating the smooth movement of people and vehicles across European borders – a cornerstone of the European project and its freedom of movement pillar. Combining forces and expertise, we have worked tirelessly to identify and seek to eliminate, through regulatory and legislative means, potential motor insurance related barriers to free movement of people across Europe. A prime, recent example of this collaboration has been COB's contribution to understanding the consequences of the Court of Justice of the European Union's (CJEU) ruling, which re-established the scope of compulsory third-party motor insurance: Damijan Vnuk v Zavarovalnica Triglav d.d., [2014] CJEU Case C-162/13. The legal expertise of COB played a significant role in interpreting the judgement, thereby supporting Insurance Europe’s active participation in discussions on the future of the Motor Insurance Directive at that time.
The partnership with COB has also been instrumental in dealing with some of the consequences of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. For instance, from the onset of the war, COB proved to be an important partner in identifying practical solutions to motor insurance coverage for Ukrainian people moving to European countries by car. This swift response demonstrated the effectiveness of the partnership between the two organisations in the face of such an unexpected dramatic event.
Looking to the future, I am convinced that COB will remain an essential partner for Insurance Europe in anticipating and addressing emerging challenges and opportunities in the motor area, related, for instance, to the emergence of new forms of mobility, such as the growing use of electric vehicles, scooters and bicycles. For instance, I anticipate that Insurance Europe will continue to seek the support of COB in terms of data to facilitate the understanding of new risks. Our partnership thus will contribute to ensuring that the insurance industry can continue to offer innovative and flexible insurance solutions to any future form of mobility.
No matter the challenges at hand, for Insurance Europe, the relationship with COB has always been more than mere collaboration. It has been a partnership, based on a shared commitment to protecting citizens and helping the motor insurance sector thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. This commitment, coupled with hands-on expertise and longstanding experience, is why COB truly matters to us. I look forward to continuing our work together towards our common goal with professionalism, dedication, and shared expertise.
Nicolas Jeanmart, Head of Personal and General Insurance Department, Insurance Europe
Nicolas Jeanmart is the head of Insurance Europe’s personal and general insurance department. As such, he contributes to the global and European debates affecting the non-life and life insurance sectors. In recent years, the question of how to reduce insurance protection gaps, notably in the areas of natural catastrophes, pensions, cyber and health, has kept him especially busy. He also follows very closely the EU level discussions affecting motor insurance, such as the reviews of the Motor Insurance Directive and the debates around access to in-vehicle data.
Prior to joining Insurance Europe in November 2010, Nicolas worked for the European Savings Banks Group (ESBG), where he held various positions, culminating in four years as head of the banking supervision and economic affairs department.
