ECJ Ruling Lacks Common Sense
Luxembourg -- 1st March 2011
I believe that today's EU Court ruling on insurance premiums is a setback for common sense.
The European Court of Justice has upheld the opinion of its top adviser and said that singling out women for preferential treatment contravenes Article 8 of the EU Treaty. If the ruling is upheld and the Commission decides to act on it, insurance premiums for female drivers under 26 could rise by about 25 percent, according to the Association of British Insurers. It will also have an impact on male pensioners, who receive higher contributions. In short, no one wins from the situation.
It is a statistical reality that young men have more accidents than women so it should be reflected in their premiums. An insurance company will assess data in order to work out their premiums - I don't think that they can be accused of sexism.
It's another example of how the ECJ is prone to over-interpreting the Treaty. The EU's rules on sex discrimination specifically permit discrimination in insurance if there is data to back it up. Unelected judges have overruled the will of democratically elected MEPs and governments; is it any wonder people are so disenchanted with the EU?
