EU Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act

The Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act (IMERA) entered into force on 8 November 2024 and it will apply from 29 May 2026.

The Act aims to ensure the functioning of the internal market, i.e. the free movement of goods, services and people and workers, during crises. Another objective is to improve the preparedness of the internal market for different types of crises and disruptions in supply and demand.

The need for these emergency rules arose from the temporary disruptions in the internal market caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The IMERA complements other special EU rules related to disruptions.

The IMERA includes an omnibus regulation and omnibus directive amending the harmonised product rules laid down in sectorial Union legal acts so that these rules can be derogated from during crises. In this way, products essential for managing the crisis can be placed on the market more quickly.

Content and measures of the Act

The purpose of the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act is to strengthen the exchange of information, coordination, cooperation and solidarity in the EU as the Member States adopt crisis-related measures. The Act enables a rapid response to emergencies and crises that threaten the functioning of the internal market. Based on the Act, the EU Member States and the Commission will create a mechanism to effectively ensure the availability of crisis-relevant goods and services. Another objective is to ensure better preparedness for crises through the monitoring of the functioning of the internal market carried out by the Commission and the Member States.

The IMERA consists of three stages: a contingency framework, an internal market vigilance mode, and an internal market emergency mode. The measures of the contingency framework will be implemented as soon as the Act begins to apply. The contingency framework includes arrangements for a crisis protocol, an early warning system and training for the authorities. The vigilance and emergency modes of the internal market will be launched separately by a Council Implementing Regulation. The vigilance and emergency modes contain various measures, such as joint public procurement by Member States or requests for information to companies concerning their stockpiles of crisis-relevant goods, production capacity or disruptions in supply chains.

Member States and the Commission to improve access of citizens and companies to information during crises

In order to ensure effective coordination and exchange of information both during normal times and during vigilance and emergency modes, each Member State will designate a central liaison office. The office will be responsible for contacts with the Union-level liaison office designated by the Commission and the central liaison offices of other Member States. The central liaison offices also serve as contact points with the authorities of the Member States.

According to the Act, each Member State should also establish a single point of contact for citizens, consumers, economic operators and workers and their representatives, which would provide information on the national restrictions on the free movement activated during emergencies. In addition, the Commission will establish a Union-level single point of contact for sharing information and assisting in EU-level crisis procedures. The Union-level contact point will maintain a list of all national crisis measures and national contact points.

In Finland, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is responsible for preparing the implementation of the Act. The responsible authorities for Finland’s central liaison office and single point of contact will be appointed by 29 May 2026.

Inquiries:
Hannele Timonen, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 141