The Macedonian insurance market recorded a constant ascendant trend during the last decade, with GWP increasing between 2008 and 2017 by about 40%. Yet, as the life insurance sector gained more relevance in the recent years, its contribution to the market growth became more visible.

Macedonian insurers ended 1H2018 with an aggregated GWP volume of EUR 80 million, up 6.7% y-o-y. Most of the market growth came from the non-life insurance segment, namely from MTPL and fire and allied perils insurance lines.

Macedonian insurers reported GWP worth EUR 38.4 million, 5.5% up y-o-y in 1Q2018, half of the market growth being owed to the MTPL insurance class and to the life insurance segment, which provided for about 40% of the premiums volume increase.

On July 2, a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Macedonian Insurance Supervision Agency and the Regulatory Authority for Insurance Supervision of Turkey was signed in Skopje, by Mr.Klime POPOSKI, President of the Council of Experts (Macedonia) and Ahmet GENK, Vice President (Turkey).

The Macedonian insurance market totalled MKD 8.99 billion (EUR 146.24 million) at the end of 2017, up by 3.10% y-o-y, according to data published by the local Insurance Supervision Agency.

Slovenian SAVA Re announced it got the approval from the Macedonian Agency for Supervision of Fully Funded Pension Insurance (MAPAS) and the required approvals from other competition authorities for the acquisition of NLB Nov penziski fond AD Skopje.

Macedonian insurers reported 3Q2017 aggregate GWP of MKD 6.8 billion (EUR 110.6 million), 2.7% more y-o-y, according to the market figures provided by the Insurance Supervision Agency of Macedonia.

Macedonian insurers' GWP increased by 3.13% y-o-y, to MKD 4.62 billion (EUR 74.95 million) in 1H2017, according to the market data provided by the country's insurance supervisory agency.

At the end of March 2017, the Macedonian insurance market totaled about MKD 2.24 billion (EUR 36.37 million), up by 4.68% y-o-y, according to data provided by the local Insurance Supervision Agency.

Insurance market of Republic of Macedonia grew by about 5% in 2016 to MKD 8.7 billion (~ EUR 142 million) with a concurrent increase of 7.74% in the number of insurance contracts, according to data provided by the local Insurance Supervision Agency.

The most important annual meeting of the Croatian insurers, the "Croatian Insurance Days", took place in Opatija, Croatia, on 7 - 9 November.

On November 1st, an Agricultural insurance conference took place in Skopje, Macedonia, organized by the Insurance Supervision Agency in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy. Drawing attention to the necessity of reducing the risks in agriculture by using insurance was the event's main purpose.

Emmanuel DJENGUE, Innovation Director, Europe - RGAX, Spain is the Keynote Speaker at IIF 2018 - Insurance in a DIGITAL WORLD Conference in Bucharest, on November 27.

Becoming a growing threat globally, cyber risks is both a challenge and an opportunity for the insurance industry. MUNICH Re's representatives talked to XPRIMM TV in Baden Baden, about the different approach to this type of risk that the Group, as one of the most active players on the cyber market solutions, proposes.

End investors, Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS) funds, and buyers - the three groups active in ILS - have predominantly weathered 2017 loss activity with a view that reinsurance products backed by 'alternative' capital have become mainstream, according to a new Global ILS Market Survey by Willis Towers Watson.

Swiss Re expects the global reinsurance industry to consolidate as the distinction between insurers and reinsurers become increasingly blurred, an executive from the Swiss Group said in Baden Baden, reports Reuters.

Current market conditions are putting increasing pressure on returns with some companies viewing consolidation as a potential solution, James NASH, CEO of International at Guy Carpenter said in his opening remarks at the Baden-Baden 2018 Reinsurance Meeting hosted by the global risk and reinsurance specialist.

E+S Ruckversicherung AG, the Hannover Re Group's unit handling German business, continues to expect a positive premium development in the German market for the January 2019 renewals, albeit at a somewhat more diminished pace than in 2018.

The market volume for cyber insurance is expected to grow up to USD 8-9 billion by 2020, Doris HOEPKE, member of Munich Re's Board of Management stressed in Baden Baden adding that, "The demand for cyber risk cover is growing continuously. We therefore see it as our duty to develop solutions."