TRANSPORT RISK INSURANCE IN CROATIA: WINDS OF CHANGE?

  • Croatian membership in the EU and the consequent liberalisation of the insurance and transport markets has caused a series of changes in transport risk insurance, which continue to present new issues and challenges to this day. Entry into the single market brought with it a set of completely new rules and transport law institutes, which insurers have had to incorporate into their insurance products, i.e. adjust existing insurance terms for their clients in the transport sector. This change has, in turn, entailed a new vision of investment into and improvement of the transport insurance sector, adopted by a number of insurance companies who are active in this market segment, which only has a marginal position in the entire insurance market in terms of the total gross premiums and other parameters. The entry of new insurance companies into this market segment following market liberalisation and the Croatian accession to the EU has resulted in fiercer competition in the sector and raised issues that were previously seldom discussed. In a situation where the licence to operate a business in the single market and other vital requirements for running a transport business depend, among other things, on an adequate insurance coverage, the question is raised what is the significance of a (domestic) insurer for transport businesses? What kind of service is expected and how willing are domestic insurers to invest in the development of this segment of the insurance business, which is traditionally perceived as highly specialized, professionally demanding and not particularly lucrative? Will foreign insurers who have a long tradition of providing transport insurance coverage take over the domestic market, and will that mean better services for the domestic transport industry? Is there a need for lifelong training in the transport insurance sector? These and other issues will be discussed by reputable experts with rich experience in the domestic and foreign insurance industry, but also road and air transport. The panel will be moderated by Danko Družijanić from the Croatian Radiotelevision.