The government is preparing a set of measures to better regulate the practices of insurance experts, responsible among other things for determining the causes and assessing the damage to real estate affected by droughts, details a press release on Friday May 10.
A decree is currently being prepared to better regulate the activity of experts commissioned by insurance companies in the context of damage to buildings linked to drought, the document indicates.
The provisions of this decree will come into force by January 1, 2025, it is specified. They aim to supervise the expertise activities in terms of independence, skills, completion times but also to harmonize and reinforce the requirements of the content of the expertise report.
Increased risk due to global warming
The conclusions of experts commissioned by insurers after the occurrence of a loss are sometimes the subject of disputes by insurers. However, the number of climatic disasters, including damage caused by the phenomenon of shrinkage-swelling of clay soils (RGA), a dangerous alternation of drought and rehydration which causes buildings to crack, is increasing with global warming, leading to more potential litigation. .
Home insurance: an increase in premiums to better compensate victims of drought?
More than half of French houses, or 10.4 million, are in a zone of medium or high exposure to RGA, according to the work of the General Commission for Sustainable Development dating from June 2021. The government also recalls in the press release a set of measures taken earlier in the year to better take into account the slow and progressive nature of the RGA.
More municipalities eligible for natural disaster status
For example, a municipality having experienced non-exceptional episodes of drought and rehydration may benefit from the status of natural disaster if these have experienced an abnormal recurrence over the last five years. These improvements (…) will make it possible to increase the number of municipalities eligible for recognition of the state of natural disaster compared to the current situation by around 17%, argues the government, citing impact studies carried out by Mto- France and the Central Insurance Fund (CCR).
Reproduction forbidden.