A structure in the history of Transport 
As early as the 16th Century, Insurers felt the need to meet together to pool information and to share between them the risks underwritten. It was thus that were founded the Insurance Circles, the first of them being established in Florence in 1552. 
Shortly thereafter, Insurance Chambers were set up in Paris as well as in the principal French ports. In 1668, a royal edict inspired by Colbert officially founded in Paris the Chambre d'Assurance et de Grosse Aventure de France which, together with the Insurance Chambers in the ports, are the ancestors of the Comité des Assureurs Maritimes, known today as the CESAM. 

Defined Services responding to the needs of Member Companies

Formed as a Groupement d'Intérêt Economique, the principal tasks of CESAM as a services provider are as follows:
• Management of Policy co-insurance and claim reserves; 
• Management of financial operations in foreign currencies for account of Member Companies; 
• Legal advice;
• Management of General Average files as well as files in respect
of major marine casualties and war risks claims; 
• Animation and management of a strong world-wide network of Average Agents and recommended surveyors on whom Insurers rely for risk analysis, loss prevention and in matters of insurance fraud (diversion of cargoes etc…) as well as for the collection of information; 
• Making available its experience, fruit of a professionalism recognized by external technical organisms (Commission Centrale de Sécurité, Bureau Veritas, Commission Nationale de Sécurité de la Navigation de Plaisance, Laboratoire National d'Essais, Chambre Arbitrale de Paris, AFDM) 

In 2004 Samer &  Gradišar has been nominated Cesam's average agent.