Europe, insurance companies invited to take a new stress test

After tests in 2014 with a group of insurers to assess their resistance to an environment of persistly-low rates, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (Eiopa) launched, in 2016, a new session of evaluation including, this time, more small and medium sized institutions.

The tests to be taken by insurers include the scenario of the "double hit". The latter consists in bringing down the value of assets while leaving the risk-free rate curve unchanged. Insurers have until mid-July to conduct the stress test whose results will appear end 2016.