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The European Union activity in the insurance sector must be directed, as indicated in Article 2 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to the achievement of a single market. However, a quick overview of the status of the Community rules on its three branches - the supervision of insurance companies and the market, the insurance intermediary and, as a central element, the insurance contract - shows developments with relevant differences. On the one hand, monitoringbased entities have enacted generations of directives, which have led to a uniform method of authorization across the entire Community ('European passport'). Such authorization must be sought from the supervisory authorities of the home Member State.2 Similarly, Directive 2002/92/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on insurance mediation also establishes a single license for insurance intermediaries. By contrast, the harmonization of contract law has been less successful - except in the area of insurance automobile liability, as only there has there been a harmonization of conflict rules, regardless of the proposed Directive that failed.
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