A code of conduct comes into force for non-life experts
The Insurers’ Federation, Assurance, has introduced, in collaboration with the Belgian association of experts in fire claims, GEBCAI, a code of conduct for experts involved in material damage insurance which comes into force this July 1. The profession and the title of fire insurance expert are not regulated at present.
The code provides, among other things, an obligation of information towards customers and contains guidelines promoting independence, integrity and transparency. Requirements on training, remuneration, working methods and expertise are also set. “”Launched on the initiative of fire insurers gathered within the Assurance Fire Assembly, this code of conduct aims to strengthen the professionalization of the expert profession and to guarantee better quality of service to insured persons“, Advances Assurance.
The Insurance Ombudsman highlights the need for reinforced supervision of the profession of fire insurance expert for several years. In his annual report of 2022, he underlined a series of dysfunctions observed in the files relating to the floods of July 2021. The code of conduct is addressed to all experts in damage insurance, except those whose profession is governed by specific legislation, such as car experts, or those involved in the evaluation of body damage.
The members of Insuralia will subscribe to the code of conduct for their own experts as soon as it is entered into force and they will only call on experts and independent expertise offices who will also be committed to respecting the code of conduct. Gebcai will take it back in its internal regulations. New legislation which imposes a series of obligations on fire experts in terms of information with regard to the insured, including that of specifying whether or not they adhere to a code of conduct also comes into force on Tuesday, July 1.
