The members of the European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee (IMCO) have adopted the report by Andreas Schwab (EPP, German) to create the Single Market Emergency Instrument (‘SMEI’) (31 votes in favour, 8 against and 2 abstentions). They are also calling for the instrument to be renamed the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act (IMERA).
“The EU and its internal market must remain functional, even in crisis. Therefore, we must strengthen the free movement of persons and ensure the supply of crisis-relevant goods to all EU citizens”, said the rapporteur after the vote.
This is one of the key elements of his report: tougher language on the protection of free movement when the emergency instrument is activated. MEPs are proposing that Member States should be prohibited from taking measures restricting the free movement of goods, services and persons, unless they are “justified by legitimate public interest objectives”.
If this is the case, the Member States must notify the Commission of the measures taken, according to Andreas Schwab’s report. In its position adopted a few weeks ago, the EU Council withdrew these notification requirements (see EUROPE 13196/4, 13195/7).
However, MEPs agree with the Member States on the issue of strategic reserves of critical goods: the obligation for the EU27 to establish such reserves has been removed. However, if such reservations exist, the Commission can require the EU27 to provide information on them, according to the European Parliament.
MEPs differ from the Commission and the European Parliament when it comes to activating the instrument’s emergency mode: in their view, the Commission must propose a legislative act to activate the mode, and not just a proposal to the EU Council, which gives elected representatives a greater say.
For the vigilance mode, which precedes the emergency mode, the European Parliament finally decided to keep the solution proposed by the Commission and approved by the EU Council, i.e. to activate it by means of an implementing regulation.
Finally, the European Parliament wants to rename the ‘advisory board’ as the ‘Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Board’. It aims to give the latter a more prominent role in the decisions to be taken by the Commission at various stages of the instrument. The Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Group may adopt opinions, recommendations or reports, which the European Commission must take into account.
See the text adopted: https://aeur.eu/f/85m (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)