Adopted on 9 October 2024, the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act (IMERA) sets out a legal and operational framework to safeguard the EU internal market in times of crisis. Prompted by challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and other geopolitical disruptions, the act addresses weaknesses in coordination, transparency, and preparedness.

IMERA is designed around three modes: contingency planning, vigilance, and emergency. The regulation foresees an IMERA Board that will coordinate EU-wide action, establish protocols for early warning and crisis simulations, and enable the monitoring of supply chains critical to societal and economic stability. In emergency situations, it empowers the European Commission to take exceptional steps – such as mandating the prioritisation of certain goods, coordinating procurement, or overriding national restrictions on movement – to maintain the free flow of essential goods, services, and persons.

The act ensures that all measures are proportionate, temporary, and transparent, with strong safeguards for fundamental rights and national competencies. It complements existing sectoral frameworks and specifically excludes areas already covered, such as public health emergency responses under the EU Health Security Framework.

The act will come into effect on 29 May 2026 and is accompanied by an Omnibus Regulation and Directive to provide for emergency procedures in related internal market legislation.