BIPAR

The European Federation of Insurance Intermediaries

Since 1937 BIPAR, the European Federation of Insurance Intermediaries, provides insurance agents and brokers with leadership through effective promotion and defence of their interests in European and international affairs.

BIPAR's membership consists of some 42 representative national associations of professional insurance agents and brokers from all over geographical Europe and the Mediterranean area. It represents about 100 000 self-employed and corporate professional insurance intermediaries in 27 countries who do business in virtually all the countries of the world and employ more than 250,000 people.

Established since 1989 in Brussels, BIPAR is recognised as the representative federation of European insurance intermediaries by the European and international institutions whose activities may impact the sector.

It has privileged relationships with industry-related European and international federations and organisations.

BIPAR is also a founding member of the World Federation of Insurance Intermediaries (WFII), which comprises 86 national associations from over 50 countries representing over 400,000 professional intermediaries.

Mission of BIPAR

BIPAR’s primary mission is to create a friendly European regulatory environment for professional insurance intermediaries that ensures fair competition, an adequate level of consumer protection and a sound insurance market.

Services of BIPAR

Lobbying at European level

BIPAR is recognised as the sole representative body for European insurance intermediaries by all relevant European and international organisations and authorities. In particular it is regularly consulted by the European Commission on all issues concerning the insurance sector.

BIPAR monitors the activities of these bodies and intervenes whenever necessary to promote and defend the legitimate interests of insurance intermediaries. In this respect BIPAR, with its permanent structure, has over the years proved to be an efficient and effective platform to develop co-ordinated actions in the interest of the European community of insurance intermediaries.

Given the important role of professional insurance intermediaries as employers, BIPAR is a recognised participant in the European Social Dialogue.

International Affairs

Two parallel evolutions - globalisation and the growing importance of EU affairs for any European practitioner - made BIPAR decide in early 1999 to focus exclusively on European affairs and to set-up, in co-operation with regional structures from the other continents, a new federation called the World Federation of Insurance Intermediaries (WFII). As a result, BIPAR has out-sourced its international activities (related to WTO, OECD, International Association of Insurance Supervisors, …) to the WFII. This allows BIPAR to focus more directly on topics related to geographical Europe while continuing the defence of the interests of its European members in international issues through WFII.

The BIPAR Secretariat was entrusted by WFII with the running of its day-to-day business.

Political support at national level

Increasingly BIPAR is asked by its national member associations to assist them with the implementation process of EU legislation into national law. This allows BIPAR to play an essential role in ensuring a harmonised application throughout the EU of legal rules affecting the profession.