European Commission expected to present Single Market Emergency Instrument in September

On 11 May 2022 the feedback period related to the new EU instrument to guarantee functioning of single market during emergencies ended. 

This initiative, the single market emergency instrument (SMEI), aims to put in place a flexible and transparent mechanism to respond quickly to emergencies and crises that threaten the functioning of the single market.

The initiative will ensure the coordination, solidarity and coherence of the EU crisis response and protect the single market’s functioning, ensuring:

• continued free movement of goods, services & people
• smooth-running supply chains
• availability and access to goods & services.

The ETUC's submission on the initiative, focuses on the following areas:

• General principles and observations, in particular as regards effective compliance and enforcement of labour laws and the respect for trade union, workers’ and social rights.
• Protecting mobile and cross-border workers, in particular frontier, seasonal and posted workers.
• Sustainable supply chains and EU strategic autonomy, in particular in terms of diversification of supply chains and industrial capacity in Europe.

Below you can find the full submission.