Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission settles price signalling case

23/08/21

On 20 August 2021 the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (‘CCPC’) accepted legally-binding commitments from AIG, Allianz, AXA, Aviva, FBD and the AA following an investigation of a possible concerted practice in the private motor insurance (‘PMI’) sector in Ireland by way of price signalling.

The CCPC’s preliminary assessment was that the six insurers and a trade association of brokers had made a series of public announcements of future PMI premiums over a 21-month period in 2015 and 2016. The firms involved were suspected of having reduced strategic uncertainty between themselves as to whether there would be increases in PMI premiums.

The parties under investigation denied any breach of competition law; however, the six insurers agreed with the CCPC to strengthen their respective competition law compliance programmes. In addition, the CCPC wrote to the Irish Central Bank to raise concerns about the culture in the insurance industry. 

Details of the CCPC’s investigation and its agreements with the insurers are here.

An article on the same subject also appeared in the Irish Times, and is here.