EIOPA consults on draft Guidelines on integrating the customer’s sustainability preferences in the suitability assessment under the IDD

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has launched today a public consultation on draft Guidelines on integrating the customer’s sustainability preferences in the suitability assessment under the IDD. The Guidelines stem from Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/1257 and aim at:

• Promoting a coherent application of the Delegated Regulation by insurance undertakings and insurance intermediaries across Member States and National Competent Authorities (NCAs);
• Restricting the potential for the mis-selling of insurance products with regard to the sustainability preferences of consumers; and
• Promoting a more convergent approach by NCAs in the supervision of insurance undertakings and insurance intermediaries.

EIOPA’s draft Guidelines provide guidance on:

• How to help customers better understand the concept of “sustainability preferences” and their investment choices;
• The collection of information on sustainability preferences from customers;
• How to match customer preferences with products, based on the SFDR product disclosures;
• When to assess sustainability preferences (i.e. only once the suitability of the product has been assessed according to the customer’s knowledge and experience, financial situation and other investment objectives); and
• The sustainable finance-related competences expected of insurance intermediaries and insurance undertakings who provide advice on IBIPs.

EIOPA is mindful of the underlying complexity of the regulatory framework and has illustrated the guidelines with diagrams and flow charts to facilitate comprehension. EIOPA is also considering the development of user-friendly guides for both consumers and insurance undertakings and insurance intermediaries to facilitate an informed sales process for sustainable products.

Stakeholders are invited to provide feedback to this consultation paper by responding to the questions via the online survey by 13 May 2022. EIOPA appreciates that the public consultation period is short, but this is to make it possible to finalise the guidelines in time for the application date of 2 August 2022 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/1257.

Further to this consultation, EIOPA will also hold a public hearingwith stakeholders on 6 May 2022, which is open to registration until 30 April 2022.

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