Disability for work, occupational illnesses, crime control, pensions and road safety. These are just a few of the subjects that insurance companies have to deal with every day. Political decisions and developments in society often have a major impact on the insurance world. This is why it is so important that the interests of insurers, and hence also the interests of their clients, are properly considered in making those decisions and that the industry closely monitors opportunities and threats in determining its policy.
This is precisely where the Dutch Association of Insurers has a role to play, as an association which represents the common interests of private insurance companies in the Netherlands. The Association is involved in many projects, working groups and consultative platforms covering a wide spectrum of public issues. On behalf of its members, the insurance companies, the Association maintains intensive contact with members of parliament and the government in the Netherlands and in Europe, with sister organizations in other countries, with other trade associations and with other representative organizations such as the Consumers’ Association, trade unions and employers’ organizations.
Through its activities the Association establishes a bridgehead between the insurance industry and other sectors of society. This bridgehead role has become particularly important in recent years as the government has assigned more and more responsibility to the market and because insurers realise the importance of keeping their eyes and ears open to what is happening in the world around them.
The Association has four main tasks as a trade association: