It is the mutual interest of the stakeholders of construction works (principally clients, investors, builders, general contractors, health & safety and fire safety engineers and experts) and insurers to minimize the potential damages caused by fire, hazards and accidents and to protect human life on construction sites. This objective encourages those involved in construction and renovation works to adhere to reasonable preventative measures. Through this guideline, the Association of Hungarian Insurance Companies seeks to reduce the risk of fire and the risk of emergencies requiring evacuation for other reasons, by introducing appropriate systems in accordance with the guidelines of the European Union and Hungarian regulations.

ICLAM has an history over 100 years old. Their aims are to provide an international forum for the latest statistics on prognosis of medical and surgical treatment in the field of life, disability and health insurance. They arrange congresses of Insurance Medicine every three years and give support to new organizations of insurance medicine. ICLAM is a non-profit organization and has no commercial interests.

The Hungarian Lawyers Association Section for Insurance Law was established in 1970, and joined the same year the International Association for Insurance Law (AIDA), as the Hungarian Chapter of AIDA. Since its formation the Chapter has been performing national and international scientific activity on insurance law. Since that date it has been organizing its national programs, 2 – 4 times yearly, on current issues on insurance and insurance law joining to all codification works relating also to insurance.

The Section as the Hungarian Chapter of the AIDA, is actively participating in the life of AIDA. It is represented since 1970 on the world congresses being held every 4 years, on three world congresses one of the major reports of the given world congress was held by a Hungarian lawyer (Gyula Eörsi, Tamás Lábady, Károly Bárd). Hungarian insurance lawyers are regularly participating in the work and in the programs of the working parties of the AIDA. The president of the Section – Károly Bárd -, had been Co-President of the AIDA for several years, and is currently its Honorary President, Ferenc Kiss is member of the Presidential Council.

The VII. World Congress of the AIDA in 1986 has been held by the Section in Budapest, for 1200 delegates, of which ca. 1000 were foreign delegates. Since 1970 the Section organizes every 2 years the AIDA Budapest Insurance Colloquia of AIDA Budapest, in 2006 the IX. Colloquia. The colloquia have at an average 120-150 Hungarian and foreign participants and 10 -15 presenters (amongst them a great number of foreigners). The themes of the colloquia can be seen on our homepage.

The events of our Section are visited by average 50-100 enquirers. According to the working parties of the AIDA, the following national working parties are active: Working Parties for motor insurance, for life and pension insurance, for insurance brokerage, for the state supervision of insurance.

The Section also plays a major role in the life of the Hungarian Lawyers Association with its events, publications, it is in continuous cooperation with the Hungarian Insurers Association and its Legal section, as well as with the other sections of the Hungarian Lawyers Association.

Internet: www.aidahungary.hu

An international organisation founded by the insurance press in 1954 in Paris. Its aims are the exchange of information, articles and documents as well of relevant facts and figures of the insurance industries.

The members come from Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Mexico,the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia; Rusia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

The Council of Bureaux is the managing organisation of the international motor insurance card system (the “Green Card System”) under the aegis of the United Nations (Economic Commission for Europe – UNECE).

The Insurance Europe (formerly: CEA) is the European insurance and reinsurance federation. Through its 33 member bodies – the national insurance associations – the Insurance Europe represents all types of insurance and reinsurance undertakings, eg pan-European companies, monoliners, mutuals and SMEs. The Insurance Europe represents undertakings that account for around 95% of total European premium income. Insurance makes a major contribution to Europe’s economic growth and development. European insurers generate premium income of over € 1,050bn, employ one million people and invest more than € 6,800bn in the economy.

• To draw attention to issues of strategic interest to all European insurers and reinsurers in a sustainable manner.
• To raise awareness of insurers’ and reinsurers’ roles in providing insurance protection and security to the community as well as in contributing to economic growth and development.
• To promote – as the expert and representative voice of the insurance industry – a competitive and open market to the benefit of the European consumer as well as corporate clients.

• represents all European insurers and reinsurers

  The Insurance Europe is the European insurance and reinsurance federation. Through its member bodies comprising of national insurance associations, the Insurance Europe represents all types of insurance and reinsurance undertakings, including pan-European companies, monoliners, mutuals or SMEs. The Insurance Europe represents undertakings that account for around 95% of total European premium income.

• positions the European insurance industry within the European and global regulatory frameworks

  The Insurance Europe is the voice of the European insurance industry at European and international level. The Insurance Europe is a fair and reliable partner and a contact point for institutions, politicians and supervisors. The Insurance Europe provides services to the European and International institutions to the benefit of its members. In the regulatory process the Insurance Europe develops, promotes and defends industry positions that are supported by technical research and expertise. Through government lobby, public affairs, industry forums and issue management, it contributes to achieve a positive political, social, business and economic environment.

• provides a platform to its members

  The Insurance Europe provides the infrastructure for an exchange information and experience between members. The Insurance Europe plays a supporting role in relation to its members and provides information and guidance on issues of interest to the European insurance sector. The Insurance Europe promotes trust and confidence in the European insurance industry.

Internet: www.insuranceeurope.eu

The “Insurance Review” online magazine is published by the Association of Hungarian Insurance Companies. It can be accessed here:

biztositasiszemle.hu

During the parallel operation of the Uniform Agreement and its further development, the Multilateral Guarantee Agreement the idea of unification of the two agreements was first raised in 1999. The differences in the texts and as a consequence of this the different interpretations underlined the necessity of the unification.

A Working Group was founded for this aim which – considering the results of consultations with the members – finally created the new unified agreement called “Internal Regulations”.

In the Internal Regulations the unification of different definitions have been achieved, the text has become simpler and more comprehensive, further the definitions used are compatible with those of the EU directives. The Internal Regulations is a basic document consisting of the general rules and the optional parts. Further changes can be realised without resigning of the agreement. The Internal Regulations – the new unified agreement – replacing the former agreements came into effect on July 1st 2003.

The provisions of the new agreement should be applied from the date mentioned above and it applies to the new claims and to claims already under handling as well.

Beside the mentioned changes and more detailed regulations the main new feature of the agreement to be stressed is that the regulations regarding the reimbursement between the bureaux of the claims settled have changed and have become significantly stricter. The deadlines prescribed for the bureaux, their members or correspondents have become shorter and are partly resulting in a loss of rights.

The signature of this new multilateral agreement means that the 18 countries (member countries of the European Economic Area being obliged by the directive of the Union anyway) and the rest of the member countries undertook the guarantee that their relations and the accounting will be based on the insurance cover deemed to exist, with the elimination of the usage of the Green Card. This means that – considering its contents – this practice is identical to that of the Multilateral Guarantee Agreement.

Due to the increase of the international motor vehicle traffic the idea to facilitate the operation of the system changed in spite of the satisfactory functioning of the Green Card system. The members of the Green Card system raised the idea of concluding supplementary agreements which are aimed at the elimination of producing and controlling the Green Card as a documentary evidence of the insurance cover.

In the beginning the member countries concluded bilateral supplementary agreements. These accepted either mutually or unilaterally the registration number and the country designation as an evidence of the insurance cover. This depending on which of the parties was willing to provide a guarantee for the vehicles registered in his own country when crossing the other country’s border.

In December 1973 these agreements were first substituted by a so-called Supplementary Agreement of several countries, then on 15th March 1991 it was replaced by the Multilateral Guarantee Agreement.

This agreement was extended to Green Card Bureaux of all those countries which previously signed bilateral agreements accepting the registration number as the evidence of the insurance cover.

The Green Card Agreement is based on two principles:

• The Green Card Bureau of the country where the accident occurred (Handling Bureau) has an exclusive competence to settle the loss in conformity with the law of the country of accident.

• The Handling Bureau is obliged to act in the best interest of the insurer of the foreign motor vehicle causing the loss (Paying Bureau).

These principles are duly reflected in the wording of the Green Card Agreement. It is providing details, definitions of the Green Card System, as well as the rules of its operation, handling of claims and the conditions of reimbursement.

The Green Card defined by the Green Card Agreement is a proof of the compulsory insurance cover required in the visited country. Showing the card, the user of the motor vehicle would evidence the motor insurance cover. The Green Cards are printed by each Member State with a wording and in a format approved by the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations. The title of the card is printed in the language of the issuing country as well as in English and French. In addition to the official language of the country the issuing National Bureau is indicated in another official language. In its capacity as a Handling Bureau, the Green Card Bureau of the visited country or the insurance company appointed by this bureau shall settle the claim on behalf and to the account of the insurance company who issued the Green Card as the proof of an existing and valid liability insurance contract.

The basic wording of the agreement has remained the same over the years, though some of the articles have been refined with the practical experience gained over the years.