§ Mr. MarlowTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what European Community proposals on insurance have been initiated or revised since the European Court of Justice decisions of December 1986, in particular case 205/87 Commissionv. Federal Republic of Germany; and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on this matter.
§ Mr. Redwood[holding answer 8 January 1990]: The European Court of Justice gave its judgment in four insurance cases, including Case 205/84, the Commission v. Federal Republic of Germany, on 4 December 1986. Since that date, progress on EC insurance directives has been made as follows:
Council Directive 87/343/EEC, on credit and suretyship insurance, adopted on 22 June 1987;Council Directive 87/344/EEC, on legal expenses insurance, adopted on 22 June 1987;Second Directive 88/357/EEC, on non-life insurance, adopted on 22 June 1988;Proposal for a Council directive on the annual accounts and consolidated accounts of insurance undertakings, submitted by the Commission on 21 January 1987, and amended proposal submitted on 30 October 1989;Proposal for a Council directive on the compulsory winding-up of direct insurance undertakings, submitted by the Commission on 23 January 1987, and amended proposal submitted on 18 September 1989;Proposal for a second Council directive on life assurance, submitted by the Commission 23 December 1988, and agreement reached in the Council of Ministers on 21 December 1989 (subject to the opinion of the European Parliament).Proposal for a third Council directive on insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles, submitted by the Commission on 23 December 1988 and amended proposal submitted on 6 December 1989. The Council adopted a common position on the proposal on 15 December 1989.608WProposal for a Council directive on the freedom to provide services in repect of motor vehicle liability insurance, submitted by the Commission on 3 January 1989.The Government continue to attach a high priority to the achievement of a genuine single market in both life and non-life insurance and welcome the Commission's intention to put forward new proposals for this purpose in the next few months.