Impact of Catastrophic Risks on Insurance

Abstract

Like many other regions of the world, the European Union is vulnerable to almost all types of
natural disasters. The damage history of each European country confirms this. Disasters not only cause loss of
human lives, but also material damage that amounts to billions of euros every year, affecting stability,
economic growth and economic relations between member states. In a much broader context, in 1996 the
European Humanitarian Aid Service set up a disaster preparedness program for catastrophic risks, named
DIPECHO (Disaster Preparedness ECHO). Since 1987, the European Council has established an agreement
open to all European countries, including the Russian Federation, entitled Europe - major risks. This
intergovernmental agreement is a vast platform for cooperation in the field of major natural and technological
risks between all European countries. The Green Paper on insurance against natural and man-made disasters,
which is a basic document in the actions of European countries to strengthen the management of catastrophic
and non-catastrophic risks. The paper aims to present the main risks that have occurred in Europe, their
intensity of production, the affected countries and their influence on the insurance market.