Recalling the difficulties encountered at the beginning of the pandemic, the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, confirmed, at a press briefing for a small group of journalists on Tuesday 11 January in Brussels, that the Single Market Emergency Instrument will consist of concrete elements in the short and medium term to respond to supply chain disruptions and possible future shortages.
The Commissioner thus recalled that the instrument, announced by the President of the European Commission last year (see EUROPE 12664/29), will aim to improve coordination between Member States in a “structural way”.
Mechanisms for accelerated conformity assessment will be introduced, as well as enhanced cooperation on public procurement. There will also be other “elements of monitoring”, he said, citing in addition a “systemic” approach to all “critical” supply chains and related potential shortages.
At a press briefing last May, the Commissioner, responding to journalists, indicated that this emergency instrument would take the form of a regulation (see EUROPE 12713/6).
The presentation of the proposal is scheduled for 16 March, according to the latest draft agenda of the European College of Commissioners.
The French Presidency of the Council of the EU has indicated that it will start legislative work as soon as the initiative is presented, without saying whether it will seek political agreement among Member States (see EUROPE 12860/2). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)