UK Watchdog Set to Ease Insurance Rules for Large Companies

(Bloomberg) -- The UK markets watchdog is planning to pare its rules on how insurers can sell policies to large companies, the latest signal regulators are pivoting to a more pragmatic stance that leans heavily into the government’s growth agenda. 

The changes aim to better differentiate big corporates from smaller businesses that take out insurance, the Financial Conduct Authority said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. The move would “ease the burden on firms insuring larger businesses that can manage risks independently, while protecting smaller commercial customers,” the FCA said.

London’s insurance market is the biggest global hub for commercial and specialty risk, sourcing over $91 billion in premiums annually, according to Lloyd’s of London.

Britain’s Labour government, which came to power in July 2024, has blasted regulators for going too far in their efforts to curb risks and ordered them to turn their attention toward supporting the economy. FCA Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi was given a second term atop the watchdog in April after he vowed to put economic growth at the center of his priorities over the next five years. 

Other measures proposed by the regulator include: 

The FCA has asked the industry for feedback on its proposals by July 2. 

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