The Implications for British Insurance, Particularly Long-Term Business, of Joining the European Common Market

Extract

The right way to negotiate with Europe is the way in which, at its best, the Common Market has handled its own problems. One should start from the view that there is a collective European interest to be served, as there always is. One should then make sure that the separate national interests are reconciled with the interests of Europe. Only a man who thinks in European terms can make this adjustment of national and European interests successfully.

The Times—29 July 1970.

This paper must be forward-looking. To dwell on the past, and even the present, would fill many pages to little purpose. The author is convinced after reviewing many files of documents that the European Common Market would not have gone forward if its founders had allowed themselves to be sidetracked by narrow interests. This perhaps sounds ominous to experts in particular fields, such as actuaries, for it is not always a happy position when political motives may overrule, or cut short, technical considerations. But the concept of the Common Market is a political one and this is becoming more apparent as the years roll on. The collective European interest will prevail but that does not mean that British philosophy and practice cannot make a distinguished contribution to European thought in the field of insurance, particularly life assurance. In practical terms, it is clearly not possible to argue for the adoption of British practice in its entirety. But I do believe that unless the profession takes every opportunity to argue the merits of our own ways of providing life assurance in the private sector, we may well live to regret the omission.