Risks in the European insurance sector are stable, generally average, with pockets of vulnerability arising from market volatility and real estate price movements. The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) notes such data on its website in its Insurance Risk Dashboard for January 2025, published on January 31.
According to the report, macroeconomic risks remain stable, at a medium level, GDP growth and inflation forecasts are also stable. Geopolitical tensions are changing the global dynamics, heightening concerns about reduced international cooperation and escalating risks and uncertainty in the years ahead.
Market risks remain at their highest levels. While bond volatility has stabilized, it remains above historical standards. Liquidity and funding risks are at medium levels but are trending upwards due to the gradual increase in risks across various metrics over the past year and the deterioration in funding conditions in the fourth quarter of 2024.
At the same time, solvency and profitability risks remain at an average level. Solvency ratios for insurance groups and solo companies in the insurance segment other than life insurance showed a slight improvement in the third quarter of 2024, remaining largely unchanged for life insurance companies.
Credit risk, insurance risks, market perception, even interconnection and imbalance risks are rated at average levels.
This Solvency II-based insurance risk dashboard summarizes the main risks and vulnerabilities in the European insurance sector through a set of risk indicators for the third quarter of 2024 and the end of 2023. The data is based on financial stability and prudential reporting collected from 93 insurance groups and 2,153 individual insurance companies. The Solvency II information is supplemented by market data with a deadline date of end-December 2024.
In 2024, PZU Ukraine Insurance Company (Kyiv) collected UAH 2.033 billion in net premiums, which is 83.4% more than in 2023, according to the insurer’s interim data posted in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC).
At the same time, written premiums for the reporting period increased by 65.1% to UAH 2.170 billion. UAH 136.9 million was ceded for reinsurance, which is three times more than in the previous year.
In 2024, the company paid claims for UAH 2.205 billion, which is 4.6 times more than in 2023.
Gross loss amounted to UAH 172.013 million, financial expenses – UAH 39.976 million,
Last year, the financial result before taxation amounted to minus UAH 4.635 million, and the net loss was UAH 4.449 million.
PZU Ukraine is supported by one of the largest insurance groups in Central and Eastern Europe – PZU Group, which includes the parent company of PZU Ukraine – PZU S.A.
In 2024, ferrous scrap enterprises sharply increased exports of strategic raw materials for steelmaking companies by 60.6% compared to 2023, to 293.1 thousand tons (in 2023, exports amounted to 182.5 thousand tons, in 2022 – 53.6 thousand tons).
According to the Ukrainian Association of Secondary Metals (UAVtormet), scrap collectors increased scrap supplies to Ukrainian steelmakers by 29.8% year-on-year last year to 1.343 million tons.
The technological reserves of ferrous scrap at the enterprises were estimated at 40-50 thousand tons at the end of the year. At the same time, the estimated technological needs of metallurgists for this raw material, according to the Association, are fully met, with an excess of 3.5-5.2%.
Last year, the volume of ferrous scrap procurement increased by 37% to 1.749 million tons. According to UAVtormet, this trend was driven by an increase in steel production at metallurgical and foundry enterprises with a corresponding increase in scrap consumption, as well as the export capabilities of Ukrainian procurement companies during the reporting year.
Scrap imports amounted to 1.2 thousand tons in 2024 and 1.1 thousand tons in 2023.
It is also stated that steel production last year amounted to 7.575 million tons, which is 21.6% more than the previous year.
According to the forecast, Ukraine will produce 6.5-6.8 million tons of steel in 2025 (6.228 million tons were produced in 2023, 6.263 million tons in 2022), and will procure 1.450-1.650 million tons of scrap metal (1 million 277.3 thousand tons in 2023, 996.7 thousand tons in 2022). Steelmakers are also expected to consume 1.1-1.2 million tons of scrap (1 million 34.7 thousand tons in 2023 and 895.7 thousand tons in 2022), export 300-350 thousand tons of scrap (182.5 thousand tons in 2023 and 53.6 thousand tons in 2022), increasing the export of strategic raw materials for steelmakers. Scrap imports are expected to reach 1.5-3 thousand tons.
Earlier, Ukrmetallurgprom President Oleksandr Kalenkov stated in a column on theInterfax-Ukraine website that scrap metal is exported through the European Union, which has a preferential export duty of EUR3 per ton, and from there the raw materials are redirected to real customers. He pointed out that exporting raw materials directly to customers would cost EUR180 in export duties, and the Ukrainian budget has already lost UAH 350 million.
The head of Ukrmetallurgprom called for a temporary ban on the export of ferrous scrap to provide steelmakers with strategically important raw materials during the war. He also clarified that a ton of scrap metal processed into steel brings in ten times the amount of export duties to the EU – up to $300 per ton.
2,573 applications for trademark registration were filed by foreigners in 2024, according to the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation (UKRIPO). More than 40% of them belong to companies from the US, Cyprus, and Switzerland. Most of them are engaged in medical/veterinary products and advertising and administration.
2.5 thousand applications for trademark registration were filed in Ukraine last year. This is 37% less than before the full-scale trademark reform, when more than 4 thousand applications were filed.
We keep track of companies ‘ trademarks in Opendatabot.
18.4% of all applications belong to companies from the United States, and another 12.5% – from Switzerland. The top three countries in terms of applications are Cyprus – 9.7%. Businesses from China, the United Kingdom, and Poland were also actively applying for registration.
The top 5 applicants include the following companies:
● Philip Morris Products S.A. – 91 applications;
● Mistral Capital Management Limited – 69;
UPL Mauritius Limited – 69;
British American Tobacco (Brands) Inc;
Farmak AG – 45.
The most frequently filed trademarks last year were those related to:
● medicinal products for medicine, veterinary medicine and hygiene – 711 applications or 27.6% of the total
● advertising, administration and office services – 472 or 18.3%,
Tobacco products, accessories and substitutes – 341 or 13.3%;
Scientific, electronic and optical instruments – 306 or 11.9%;
● cosmetics, care products and household chemicals – 282 or 11.0%.
FELIX TRADE PTE. Ltd. became the record holder, having filed for registration a trademark with 20 areas of activity.
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/foreign-trademarks-2024
Ukraine and Egypt may sign a free trade agreement that will expand the range of products traded between the two countries, according to Vitaliy Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food.
The Minister noted that the trade turnover of agricultural products between Ukraine and Egypt increased in 2024. In particular, the export of Ukrainian agricultural products increased by 32% compared to 2023 and amounted to $1.4 billion. It is based on corn, wheat, soybeans, and oil. Egypt supplies Ukraine with citrus fruits, potatoes, nuts, and more.
According to the minister, Egypt is interested in expanding cooperation, particularly in the field of livestock and exports of Ukrainian meat. At the same time, there are factors that hinder the development of trade, including veterinary and phytosanitary restrictions.
The parties discussed issues of processing and storage of agricultural products, the use of modern technologies to reduce food losses and increase production efficiency. The Ukrainian side is represented by Taras Kachka, Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative of Ukraine, and Serhiy Tkachuk, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.
The Ukrainian delegation has already held talks with the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa El-Din Farouk and the Minister of Supply and Internal Trade of Egypt Sharif Farouk. The parties discussed prospects for bilateral partnership in agriculture and food security.
According to Swedbank, the Estonian economy will return to growth in 2025 after a 0.8% contraction in 2024. GDP growth is projected at 1.5%, and in 2026 the economy may accelerate to 2.5%.
The main growth factors are export recovery and increased investment.
At the same time, household consumption in Estonia will remain relatively weak due to higher taxes and slower growth in real incomes. Inflation will reach 4% in 2025, which is higher than the euro area average. This is mainly due to tax policy and additional household spending.
Despite economic challenges, the labor market in Estonia remains resilient. The employment rate exceeds 69%, which is one of the highest in Europe. However, the rapid growth of wages is outpacing productivity growth, which poses additional risks to the competitiveness of the economy.
