Motor insurance

Implementation of the Fourth Directive

The EC’s Fourth Motor Insurance Directive, European Parliament and Council Directive 2000/26/EC, requires a number of changes to the domestic laws of Member States. In particular, the Directive: requires an insurer offering motor insurance anywhere in the EEA to appoint a claims representative in each EEA State; requires every Member State to keep a register of vehicles normally based within its territory; and confers a direct right of action by the injured victim of a negligent driver against the driver’s insurers but in limited circumstances only, where the accident occurs in an EEA State other than that of the victim’s residence. In recent weeks there has been a flurry of activity on the part of the UK Government, consisting of two statutory instruments and a consultative document.