The training of actuaries is a university training of the postgraduate type. Their profess ional activities cover a very wide range; the function of Appointed Actuary has not yet been officially recognized in Belgium.
To the exclusion ofsemi-governmental companies and mutual companies, the main insurance companies operating in Belgium have become part of European consortiums as a result of important shareholding structure changes.
The "bancassurance"-phenomenon, the intermingling of banking and insurance activities, is gradually developing, although in a less significant way than in the neighboring countries.
Companies have seen their profitability shrinking, obliging them to take actions aimed at turning down overhead expenses.
Since July 1991 the control of insurance companies has been changed from a system of control a priori into a system of control a posteriori. In this context, companies will have to appoint one or more actuaries whose advice they will have to take on the structure of tariff rates, reinsurance conditions, the amount of reserves and provisions.
Our Association will have to organize itself in order to enable our members to assume these new responsibilities.