The European Union applies the new framework for protecting the single market in crisis

The European Union applies from Friday the Act on emergency situations and resilience of the internal market, known by the acronym IMERA, a framework designed to protect the free movement of goods, services, and people within the single market during crises.

The instrument was designed after recent crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which showed how quickly supply chains, mobility, and the functioning of the single market can be affected when member states adopt uncoordinated national measures. The European Commission states that IMERA aims to ensure the uninterrupted circulation of goods, services, and people in the Union during a crisis and the availability of critical supplies when the EU faces an emergency situation.

In short

The Act on emergency situations and resilience of the internal market applies from May 29, 2026. The framework introduces a European system for preparedness, monitoring, and response to crises that may affect the single market. IMERA has three levels: contingency planning, vigilance, and emergency. In the event of serious disruptions, the Commission can coordinate the procurement of goods relevant to the crisis, request information from companies, and support expedited procedures for bringing essential products to market. The first formal meeting of the IMERA Council is scheduled for June 4 and will include discussions about the implications of the situation in the Middle East on supply chains.

The new framework establishes a preparedness and response architecture built around an IMERA Council, composed of the Commission and member states. Its role is to coordinate efforts with EU countries and advise on necessary measures to prevent or manage the effects of a crisis on the single market.

In the normal contingency phase, the Commission and member states can use crisis protocols, training, exercises, simulations, and early warning systems to identify potential disruptions to the single market. The Council of the European Union stated, at the time of the final adoption of the act, that the European executive will organize stress tests and simulations to assess the impact of crises on the free movement of goods, services, and people.

If risks increase, the Council can activate the vigilance mode. This stage allows for closer monitoring of critical supply chains for goods and services before disruptions turn into a large-scale crisis. According to the Commission, the vigilance framework aims to identify vulnerabilities before they affect the functioning of the single market.

In the event of a severe crisis, the emergency mode can be activated. In this phase, IMERA allows for stronger but targeted measures, including coordinated procurement by the Commission with the participation of member states, requests for information addressed to economic operators, priority orders for products relevant to the crisis, and expedited procedures for bringing essential products to market.

The political and economic stakes of the new framework are to avoid a repeat of situations where national measures taken in a crisis fragment the single market. During the pandemic, several states introduced movement restrictions, border controls, or export limitations on essential products, which affected supply chains and the functioning of the internal market. IMERA creates common procedures through which member states must act more transparently and in a coordinated manner.

For companies, the framework brings two types of consequences. On one hand, it offers more predictability in a crisis, as it limits disproportionate national measures that could block the single market. On the other hand, in an emergency situation, companies relevant to critical supply chains may receive requests for information or priority requests regarding products necessary for crisis management.

IMERA was adopted on October 9, 2024, and applies from May 29, 2026. The package includes the main regulation, an omnibus regulation, and an omnibus directive, which adapt existing legislation regarding the internal market to crisis situations.

The Council of the European Union gave final approval to the act on September 26, 2024, after the Commission initially proposed an instrument for emergency situations in the single market in September 2022, and the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on February 1, 2024. During the negotiations, the instrument received its current name, the Act on emergency situations and resilience of the internal market.