STRONG EASTERN EUROPEAN GROWTH AT GENERALI VIENNA

Austria-based insurer Generali Vienna, the unit of Italian insurer Generali responsible for business in Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia and Romania, has posted first-half premium income of 1.32bn euro, up 2.2% on the same period last year. Group CEO Dietrich Karner said that premium growth had been driven by the performance of central and eastern European countries (CEECs), where premiums were up 13.1%. He noted that CEECs now accounted for 22.5% of Generali Vienna’s aggregate premium income. The company said that, in the absence of unexpected untoward developments, it anticipated improved results for 2003, with a consolidated full-year premium income of 2.6bn euro. It does not, however, intend to increase its dividend. First-half premium income from primary insurance business in the p/c segment increased by 6.8% to 929m euro.