Publications, Surveys and Presentations

Current publications, surveys and presentations by the Groupe Consultatif:

The Groupe makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information within the following publications. However, it is for the user to ensure that the information contained in these publications is up-to-date.

The publications and surveys are listed by subject area:

Education
Standards, Freedoms and General Purposes
Insurance
Investment and Financial Risk
Pensions
Supervisors/CEIOPS

General

• The Art of Calculating Risk (pdf, 3.7 MB) May 2008
  A summary of the role of the the Groupe Consultatif and what an actuary does.

Education

• Survey of Actuarial Education in Europe (pdf, 96 KB) May 2009
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) strategy document (pdf, 35KB) September 2008
• Implementation of Core Syllabus, Survey results and presentation (pdf, 250KB) Chris Daykin, April 2002

Standards, Freedoms and General Purposes

• Seminar on "Independence of the Actuary" Eisenstadt, 14 April 2005 Speakers'presentations (ZIP, 400 KB)

Insurance

• Use of Age and Disability as rating factors in Insurance (pdf, 364 KB) A position paper on why they are used and what the implications of restricting their use would be.
  Edited by Jim Murphy, December 2011
• The Role of the Actuary (pdf, 76 KB) A survey of the role of the actuary and the Actuarial Function under Solvency II.
  Edited by Karel Goossens, June 2011
• Implementation of Gender Directive (pdf, 133 KB) A survey of the implementation of the European Commission Directive on gender differentiation in relation to insurance.
  Edited by Jim Murphy, March 2009
• Gender differentiation in Insurance (pdf, 835 KB)
  A survey on the use of gender differentiation in the different insurance branches in Europe.
  Edited by Manuel Peraita, November 2007
• Actuarial reflections on pandemic risk and its consequences (pdf, 128KB)
  A brief overview of the possible impact on the insurance industry, by a working party comprising representatives of the Groupe Consultatif and the European Commission, May 2006
• Diversification (pdf, 291KB)
  Technical Paper by Groupe Consultatif's Solvency II working group: Group and Cross-Sectoral Consistency, October 2005
• Professional Responsibilities of Insurance Actuaries in Europe (includes Appendices 1 and 2) (pdf, 342KB)
  Edited by Ad Kok and Mariano Garcia, September 2002.
  Appendix 3(pdf, 3319KB)
  Appendix 4(pdf, 2182KB)
• The Second Actuarial Study of Mortality in the Countries of Europe(zip, 1Mb)
  Edited by Angus Macdonald, 1997
  This study updates and expands on the first study, published in 1986 under the editorship of Professor John McCutcheon entitled An Actuarial Study of Mortality in the Countries of the European Communities. In this latest edition, the number of contributing associations is much greater, and includes Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

Investment and Financial Risk

• Avoiding Pitfalls in Retirement - a joint Pensions/IFR Committee report on Defined Contribution Pensions (pdf, 48 KB)
  Authors: Gylys, Forman, Linnemann, Matits, Otto and Prieler. October 2009
  Press Release
• Risk Management Practices, Mismatching and Solvency in different types of financial organisations in Europe. (pdf, 1.25 MB)
  Editors: Berthon, Chmielewski, Kemp, Krischanitz and Valkenburg. December 2006

Pensions

The Pensions Committee carries out surveys in a number of areas. These surveys are updated from time to time, and the date of currency of each survey is indicated. Each survey is developed under the guidance of an editor, drawing together input from the delegates of each national actuarial association participating in the Groupe. The material is reviewed by the Pensions Committee as a whole before publication. No charge is made for using this material, but users are requested to acknowledge the source.

The purpose is to provide data on which European policy-makers and other interested groups can rely in their considerations.

The surveys are somewhat inter-related and fall into groups as follows:

Benefit Provision

• Avoiding Pitfalls in Retirement - a joint Pensions/IFR Committee report on Defined Contribution Pensions (pdf, 48 KB)
  Authors: Gylys, Forman, Linnemann, Matits, Otto and Prieler. October 2009
  Press Release
• Taxation of Occupational Pensions in the EU Countries (pdf, 107KB)
  Edited by Chinu Patel, April 2004.
  A high level survey of the basic structure of the taxation of pensions.
• Pensions Aspects of Corporate Transactions in the European Union(pdf, 29KB)
  Edited by Konrad Niklewicz, March 2004.
  (Original version edited by David Collinson, 1999)
  The basis on which pension liabilities and corresponding assets are transferred.
• Defined Contribution Arrangements in Europe (pdf, 120KB)
  Edited by Harvie Brown, February 2004
  (Original version edited by David Collinson, 1999).
  A survey of evolving benefit design.
• Actuarial Standards for Transfers between Pension Schemes in the countries of the EC and other European countries (pdf, 1,002KB)
  Edited by Philip Shier on behalf of the Groupe Consultatif, 2001.
  The availability of and actuarial bases used in the calculation of individual pension transfers.

Funding and Security

• Security in Occupational Pensions (pdf, 356 KB)
  Executive summary (pdf, 108 KB)
  Edited by Chinu Patel, May 2010
  An analysis of the different components of pension security.
  Supplementary paper: Survey of pension security in some European countries (pdf, 130 KB)
  Edited by Deborah Cooper and Job Stigter, May 2010
  A comparison of various aspects of the regulatory regimes in some EU/EEA countries.
• Minimum Technical Provisions for Defined Benefit Occupational Pensions in the EU (pdf, 120KB)
  Edited by Chinu Patel, May 2007
  The actuarial basis used for the calculation of technical provisions under the EU Pensions (IORP) Directive. The methods and assumptions are recorded at 31 December each year, and the survey is intended to enable the trend of convergence in the assumptions amongst the EU countries to be monitored over time.
• Guidelines on Implementation of the Prudent Person Principle for IORPs in respect of actuarial practice (pdf, 32 KB)
  Edited by Gijs Van Ijsel Smits. September 2006
  Guidance on actuarial responsibilities, asset liability management and solvency questions, to assist actuaries working in the EU and to whom the IORP Directive applies. It may also be helpful to actuaries in other circumstances.
  NB: this paper offers suggestions only - it does not set out mandatory practice.
• Security Standards for Occupational Pensions Schemes in the EU(pdf, 109KB)
  Edited by Carel Hammer, February 2004, revised August 2005
  (Original version edited by David Collinson, 1995, 1996)
  The basic framework for occupational pension provision in each country, for example minimum funding requirements, solvency, insurance, legal obligations.
  
• Actuarial Methods and Assumptions used in the Valuation of Retirement Benefits in the EU and other European countries (pdf, 2,469KB)
  Edited by David Collinson. December 2001
  The technical methods and assumptions in use for funding and accounting purposes.
  Slide presentation (pdf, 174KB)
  Given to the EU Pensions Supervisors, April 2002

Role of the Actuary

• Professional Responsibilities of Pensions Actuaries in Europe (includes Appendices 1 and 2) (pdf,97KB)
  Edited by Marcel Rottiers, June 2005
  (Original version edited by Bart De Smet, 2002)
  The extent of formal recognition of actuaries, and of professional guidance which applies in each country.
  Appendix 3 (pdf, 115KB)
  Appendix 4 (pdf, 148KB)
  Slide presentation (pdf, 158KB)
  Given to the EU Pensions Supervisors, April 2002

Glossary

• Glossary of Pensions Terminology (pdf, 78KB)
  Edited by Peter Prieler, March 2004.
  A glossary of technical actuarial terms used in pension work, in 12 European languages.

Supervisors/CEIOPS

• Meeting with Interim CEIOPS (Committee of European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Supervisors), Athens, October 2003
  Groupe presentations (ZIP, 151KB)
  
• Meeting with EU Pensions and Insurance Supervisors, April 2003
  Speakers' Presentations (Pensions) (ZIP,257KB)
  Speakers' Presentations (Insurance) (ZIP,498KB)