The German insurance federation, GDV, wants the European Court of Justice’s decision to outlaw the use of gender as an underwriting determinant overturned.

The ruling, which comes into effect for all European insurers from December next year, was handed down on March 1 following a challenge by a Belgian consumer rights group.

European insurers had previously been granted an exemption to the EU’s Equal Treatment Directive to allow the industry to continue using gender in risk pricing, providing it was backed by published actuarial data.

GDV is also demanding changes to the EU supervisory system Solvency II, which it believes is too complex and discriminates against German life insurers who work with long-term guarantees.