7.1 Introduction

Risk management has the following objectives:

• enhance the PZU Group’s value through active and deliberate management of the extent of risk taken;
• prevent the acceptance of risk at a level that could pose a threat to the financial stability of the PZU Group or the financial conglomerate within the meaning of the supplementary oversight act.

Risk management in the PZU Group is based on risk analysis in all processes and units. Risk management is an integral part of the management system.

The main elements of PZU Group’s risk management have been implemented to ensure sectoral consistency and the execution of the strategic plans of individual companies as well as the business objectives of the entire PZU Group. They include the following:

• systems of limits and limitations on the acceptable level of risk, including the level of risk appetite;
• processes involving the identification, measurement and assessment, monitoring and control, reporting and management measures pertaining to various risks;
• risk management organizational structure in which the management boards and supervisory boards of the entities and dedicated committees play a crucial role.

Entities from the financial sector are additionally obligated to apply the appropriate standards for a given sector. The adopted internal regulations specify among others:

• processes, methods and procedures facilitating risk measurement and management;
• split of duties in the risk management process;
• scope and conditions and the frequency of risk management reporting.

The risk management system in the PZU Group is based on the following:

• organizational structure – comprising a split of duties and tasks performed in the risk management process by statutory bodies, committees and individual organizational units and cells;
• risk management process, including risk identification, measurement and assessment, monitoring and control methods, risk reporting and undertaking management actions.

PZU exercises supervision over the PZU Group’s risk management system on the basis of cooperation agreements entered into with Group entities. PZU manages the PZU Group risk from an aggregated perspective and on the basis of the information provided thereunder. The agreements entered into and the scope of information to be provided take into consideration the specific legal nature of each entity, including limitations arising from banking secrecy rules.

In order ensure effective risk management on PZU Group level, risk management rules applicable to subsidiaries have been adopted, containing a recommendation issued by PZU regarding the organization of the risk management system (in both insurance and banking sectors). Additionally, guidelines regulating the various risk management processes in the PZU Group entities are also issued from time to time.

The management boards of PZU Group entities are responsible for fulfilling their own duties in accordance with the generally applicable provisions of national and international law. In particular, they are responsible for the implementation of an adequate and effective risk management system.

Supervision over the risk management systems in the various financial sector unites is exercised by the supervisory boards to which PZU appoints its representatives.