Insurance Distribution Directive

First published: Last updated: 26/07/2021

The Insurance Distribution Directive is EU legislation which sets regulatory requirements for firms designing and selling insurance products.

The Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) replaces the Insurance Mediation Directive (IMD). It aims to enhance consumer protection when buying insurance – including general insurance, life insurance and insurance-based investment products (IBIPs) – and to support competition between insurance distributors by creating a level playing field.

Like the IMD, the IDD covers the authorisation, passporting arrangements and regulatory requirements for insurance and reinsurance intermediaries. However, the application of the IDD is wider, covering organisational and conduct of business requirements for insurance and reinsurance undertakings. The IDD also introduces requirements in new areas, including product oversight and governance, and enhanced conduct rules for IBIPs.

Legislation

The IDD is a minimum harmonising directive, which can be accessed in the Official Journal of the European Union:

The IDD enables the European Commission to make secondary legislation. That legislation is comprised of delegated acts and implementing technical standards. These can be accessed on the European Commission website:

Guidelines

The IDD also empowers the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) to develop supporting guidelines. These can be accessed on the EIOPA website:

  • Guidelines under the IDD on insurance-based investment products that incorporate a structure which makes it difficult for the customer to understand the risks involved. 

Timeline

The requirements applied to firms from 1 October 2018.

Member States registers

Please visit the EIOPA website to view registers for insurance, reinsurance and ancillary insurance intermediaries.

UK ‘general good’ rules

Please visit this page for information, required under article 11 of the IDD, setting out certain FCA Handbook rules which are considered to be general good provisions and apply to incoming EEA firms exercising passporting rights under the IDD.

Key publications

We have issued three dedicated consultation papers, three corresponding policy statements and a Handbook Notice:

We have also consulted on some issues related to the IDD in Quarterly Consultation Papers:

Feedback to CP17/32 and CP17/39 was provided in the third policy statement, PS18/1.

The Treasury has also published a consultation paper and feedback statement, which can be accessed on the Treasury website: