As the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act (IMERA) enters into application today, the EU now has a structured framework to strengthen crisis preparedness, improve coordination with EU countries and businesses, and ensure targeted and proportionate action to safeguard the free movement of goods, services, and people across the single market. During times of crisis, a well-functioning single market is Europe's strongest asset and IMERA builds on lessons from recent crises.
IMERA establishes a three-tier approach. Under the default contingency mode, the Commission and EU countries will monitor single market resilience through early warnings, simulations, and preparedness exercises. If a crisis emerges, the Council may activate vigilance mode, enabling closer monitoring of supply chains for critical goods and services. In cases of severe disruption, emergency mode can be triggered to allow targeted measures such as coordinated procurement, information requests to companies, and restrictions on national measures that fragment the single market, including export bans within the EU.
On 4 June, the first formal IMERA Board meeting will bring together EU countries to discuss, among other issues, the supply chain implications of the evolving situation in the Middle East.
More information
- Publication date
- 29 May 2026
- Author
- Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs