Insurance Archives

How should autonomous and self-learning robots be considered from a legal viewpoint? Under plans currently under discussion, they can be regarded as pets or even as “robot persons” in their own right, EURACTIV.com has learned.

European car manufacturers are seeking full control over the data sent to them by connected vehicles they put on the road, and fear a move by Brussels that would impose sharing that data with rivals.

Driverless cars have figured into several EU policy plans lately, as politicians have advocated for speeding up work on the technology to stop countries like the United States from having a leg up on European auto manufacturers.

Günther Oettinger has faced ridicule for his handling of EU tech policy since he took the job two years ago. But the digital Commissioner is finally getting some credit, and winning praise from some corners for a major overhaul of telecoms law.

The digital revolution in the financial sector will get a helping hand from EU regulators later this year when the European Commission tables new proposals for retail financing, with a clear objective: let the revolution flourish.

A rushed transition to clean energy triggered by extreme weather events linked to global warming “will be very expensive” to swallow for the economy, investors warned policymakers at an event in Bratislava last week.

Although the digitalisation of industry is a top priority among EU decision makers, Europe should not be concerned about job losses caused by growing automation. Instead, member states should teach the new generations the skills required for a digital future, believes the VDMA chief, Thilo Brodtman.

Telecoms operators and car manufacturers have asked the European Commission to put money into a major, four-year project running driverless cars between EU member states, in the first test of the new technology between more than one country.

The European Commission is trying to figure out whether insurance laws should be changed to cover crashes caused by driverless cars. With no human in control of the cars, insurance companies are already rethinking who will be liable for the new technology.

The insurance industry is adjusting its offers on health, cars, the sharing economy and other services because of the growing amount of personal data becoming available.

A Berlin court is due to make a landmark ruling with ramifications for home rental firms such as Airbnb on Wednesday (8 June) when it decides if homeowners can engage in short-term lets.

The threat of extreme weather caused by climate change and the challenges it can pose to EU citizens and insurers were highlighted again last week by the floods in France, which killed four and cost millions.

The success of sharing economy firms offers new opportunities to insurers who see Uber drivers and Airbnb flat owners as a potential source of revenue. But setting up a safe environment for digital platforms, contractors, and users remains a challenge.

The systematic collection and treatment of large amounts of (private) digital data is transforming the insurance industry, raising new legal issues for policymakers along the way. From health to car insurance, EURACTIV.com provides an overview of the challenges and regulatory initiatives at European level.

Newly passed EU laws on data protection and cybersecurity could be a boon for insurance companies, which are set to pick up more clients once the rules go into effect in 2018.

Services such as ride-hailing app Uber and home-rental site Airbnb should only be banned as a last resort, the European Commission said on Thursday (2 June), as it seeks to foster development of the "sharing economy".

The European Commission will ask member states to review and amend legislation, when necessary, to end the fragmentation faced by Uber, Airbnb and other collaborative platforms in Europe, EURACTIV.com has learned.

The European Commission's highly anticipated views on the sharing economy are expected to pave the way towards a solution to outstanding complaints put forward against the likes of Uber and Airbnb in a number of EU countries.

According to Global Infrastructure Investor Association head Andy Rose, members of his organisation, including Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, see Europe as an attractive place to invest. But, he warned, the upcoming Brexit  referendum is causing negative “short-term effects”.

Car industry lobbyists are complaining that in-house divisions at the European Commission are delaying technologies like driverless cars from getting onto European streets.

Lawmakers are debating how to deal with virtual currencies and, in particular, with the promising technology behind them: blockchain. Patrick Murck, co-founder of Bitcoin Foundation, believes that the current ‘hands-off’ approach is the right one.

Transport ministers from EU countries are slated to sign a joint declaration on driverless vehicles tomorrow (14 April), but squabbles between member states have made the agreement a sensitive subject.

EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc is turning to driverless cars as a way to improve the bloc's floundering record on road deaths.

A new European Commission-led expert group on autonomous vehicles is meeting today (26 January) for the first time, marking the executive's latest push to develop driverless cars in the EU.