ICOBS 6 Annex 3 Providing product information by way of a standardised insurance information document:

R

This annex belongs to ICOBS 6.1.10AR.

1

Effect of provisions marked ‘UK’2

1.1

R

(1)

Provisions in this section marked “UK”2 apply in relation to a firm to which the IDD IPID Regulation3 is not directly applicable, as if they were rules.

(2)

In this annex, a word or phrase found in a provision marked “UK”2 and referred to in column (1) of the table below has the meaning indicated in the corresponding row of column (2) of the table.

(1)

(2)

“Directive (EU) 2016/97”

IDD

“durable medium”

durable medium

“insurance product”

a policy (other than a pure protection contract)

“manufacturer”

manufacturer

“non-life insurance product

a policy (other than a pure protection contract)

”“shall”

must

2

What information needs to be contained in the IPID?

2.1

R

The IPID must contain the following information:

(1)

information about the type of insurance;

(2)

a summary of the insurance cover, including the main risks insured, the insured sum and, where applicable, the geographical scope and summary of excluded risks;

(3)

the means of payment of premium and the duration of payments;

(4)

main exclusions where claims cannot be made;

(5)

obligations at the start of the contract;

(6)

obligations during the term of the contract;

(7)

obligations in the event that a claim is made;

(8)

the term of the contract including the start and end dates of the contract;

(9)

the means of terminating the contract.

[Note: article 20(8) of the IDD]

2.2

G

A firm, when providing the information in the IPID, should consider:

(1)

the rules and guidance on providing appropriate information to customers in ICOBS 6.1;

(2)

the order of the information and priority of the information to be provided; and

(3)

the information needs of the firm’s typical customer for the policy.

2.3

G

A firm that manufactures the policy should, when drawing up the IPID, have regard to the target market and intended distribution strategy.

Name and company logo of the manufacturer

2.4

UK2

1(1)

The name of the manufacturer of the non-life insurance product, 2its regulatory status, and, where relevant, its authorisation number shall immediately follow the title ‘insurance product information document’ at the top of the first page.

2.5

UK2

1(2)

The manufacturer may insert its company logo to the right of the title .

[Note: article 1 of the IDD IPID Regulation]

Reference to complete pre-contractual and contractual information

2.6

UK2

2

The insurance product information document shall state prominently that complete pre-contractual and contractual information about the non-life insurance product is provided to the customer in other documents. That statement shall be placed immediately below the name of the manufacturer of the non-life insurance product.

[Note: article 2 of the IDD IPID Regulation]

3

How must the IPID be presented and formatted?

3.1

R

The IPID must:

(1)

be a short and stand-alone document;

(2)

be presented and laid out in a way that is clear and easy to read, using characters of a readable size;

(3)

be no less comprehensible in the event that, having been originally produced in colour, it is printed or photocopied in black and white;

(4)

be written in the official languages, or in one of the official languages, used in the part of the state2 where the policy is offered or, if agreed by the consumer and the insurance distributor, in another language;

(5)

be accurate and not misleading;

(6)

contain the title ‘insurance product information document’ at the top of the first page;

(7)

include a statement that complete pre-contractual and contractual information on the product is provided in other documents.

[Note: article 20(7)(a) to (g) of the IDD]

Length

3.2

UK2

3

The insurance product information document shall be set out on two sides of A4-sized paper when printed. Exceptionally, if more space is needed, the insurance product information document may be set out on a maximum of three sides of A4-sized paper when printed. Where a manufacturer uses three sides of A4-sized paper, it shall, upon request by the Financial Conduct Authority2, be able to demonstrate that more space was needed.

[Note: article 3 of the IDD IPID Regulation]

Presentation and order of content

3.3

UK2

4(1)

The information of the insurance product information document listed in 2Article 20(8) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be presented in different sections and in accordance with the structure, lay-out, headings and sequence as set out in the standardised presentation format in the Annex to this Regulation, using a font size with an x-height of at least 1,2 mm.

3.4

UK2

4(2)

The length of the sections may vary, depending on the amount of information that is to be included in each section. Information about add-ons and optional covers shall not be preceded by ticks, crosses or exclamation marks.

3.5

UK2

4(3)

Where the insurance product information document is presented using a durable medium other than paper, the size of the components in the layout may be changed, provided that the layout, headings and sequence of the standardised presentation format, as well as the relative prominence and size of the different elements, are retained.

3.6

UK2

4(4)

Where the dimensions of the durable medium other than paper are such that a layout using two columns is not feasible, a presentation using a single column may be used, provided that the sequence of the sections is as follows:

(a)

‘What is this type of insurance?’

(b)

‘What is insured?’

(c)

‘What is not insured?’

(d)

‘Are there any restrictions on cover?’

(e)

‘Where am I covered?’

(f)

‘What are my obligations?’

(g)

‘When and how do I pay?’

(h)

‘When does the cover start and end?’

(j)

‘How do I cancel the contract?’.

3.7

UK2

4(5)

The use of digital tools, including layering and pop-ups shall be permitted, provided that all the information referred to in Article 20(8) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 is provided in the main body of the insurance product information document and that the use of such tools does not distract the customer’s attention from the content of the main document.

Information provided through layering and pop-ups

shall not include marketing or advertising material.

[Note: article 4 of the IDD IPID Regulation ]

Plain language

3.8

UK2

5

The insurance product information document shall be drafted in plain language, facilitating the customer’s understanding of the content of that document, and shall focus on key information which the customer needs to make an informed decision. Jargon shall be avoided.

[Note: article 5 of the IDD IPID Regulation]

Headings and information thereunder

3.9

UK2

6(1)

The sections of the insurance product information document shall have the following headings and the following information thereunder:

(a)

the information on the type of insurance referred to in Article 20(8)(a) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be included under the heading ‘What is this type of insurance?’, at the top of the document;

(b)

the information on the main risks insured referred to in Article 20(8)(b) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be included under the heading ‘What is insured?’. Each piece of information listed in this section shall be preceded by a green ‘tick’ symbol;

(c)

the information on the insured sum referred to in Article 20(8)(b) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be included under the heading ‘What is insured?’;

(d)

the information on geographical scope, where applicable, referred to in Article 20(8)(b) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be included under the heading ‘Where am I covered?’. Each piece of information listed in this section shall be preceded by a blue ‘tick’ symbol;

(e)

the information on a summary of the excluded risks referred to in Article 20(8)(b) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be included under the heading ‘What is not insured?’. Each piece of information in this section shall be preceded by a red ‘X’ symbol;

(f)

the information on the main exclusions referred to in Article 20(8)(d) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be included under the heading ‘Are there any restrictions on cover?’. Each piece of information listed in this section shall be preceded by an orange exclamation mark symbol;

(g)

the information on the relevant obligations referred to in points (e), (f) and (g) of Article 20(8) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be included under the heading ‘What are my obligations?’;

(h)

the information on the means and duration of payment of premiums referred to in Article 20(8)(c) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be included under the heading ‘When and how do I pay?’;

(i)

the information on the term of the contract referred to in Article 20(8)(h) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be included under the heading ‘When does the cover start and end?’;

(j)

the information on the means of terminating the contract referred to in Article 20(8)(i) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be included under the heading ‘How do I cancel the contract?’.

6(2)

The use of sub-headings is permitted, where necessary.

[Note: article 6 of the IDD IPID Regulation]

Use of icons

3.10

UK2

7(1)

Each section shall further be headed by icons that visually represent the content of the respective section heading, as follows:

(a)

the information on the main risks insured referred to in Article 20(8)(b) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be headed by an icon of an umbrella, which shall be white on a green background or green on a white background;

(b)

the information on the geographical scope of the insurance cover referred to in Article 20(8)(b) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be headed by an icon of a globe, which shall be white on a blue background or blue on a white background;

(c)

the information on excluded risks referred to in Article 20(8)(b) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be headed by an icon of an X symbol within a triangle, which shall be white on a red background or red on a white background;

(d)

the information on the main exclusions referred to in Article 20(8)(d) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be headed by an exclamation mark (‘!’) within a triangle, which shall be white on an orange background or orange on a white background;

(e)

the information on the obligations at the start of the contract, during the term of the contract and in the event that a claim is made, referred to in points (e), (f) and (g) of 20(8) of Directive (EU) 2016/97, respectively, shall be headed by an icon of a handshake, which shall be white on a green background or green on a white background;

(f)

the information on the means and duration of payments referred to in Article 20(8)(c) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be headed by an icon of coins, which shall be white on a yellow background or yellow on a white background;

(g)

the information on the term of the contract referred to in Article 20(8)(h) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be headed by an icon of an hourglass, which shall be white on a blue background or blue on a white background;

(h)

the information on the means of terminating the contract referred to in Article 20(8)(i) of Directive (EU) 2016/97 shall be headed by an icon of a hand with an open palm on a shield, which shall be white on a black background, or black on a white background.

3.11

UK2

7(2)

All icons shall be displayed in a manner consistent with the standardised presentation format in the Annex.

3.12

UK2

7(3)

The icons referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 may be presented in black and white where the insurance product information document is printed or photocopied in black and white.

[Note: article 7 of the IDD IPID Regulation]

Template for the standardised presentation format

3.13

EU

ANNEX

ICOBS_06_ann_03

[Note: Annex to the IDD IPID Regulation]