Explainers

The EU is working on various fronts to improve its ability to respond to crises and to enhance its resilience to future challenges.

The newly-named internal market emergency and resilience act (IMERA), formerly known as the single market emergency instrument (SMEI), is designed to ensure that the EU is better prepared for and more resilient to future crises.

Sanctions are an instrument to prevent conflict or respond to emerging or current crises, and to promote peace, democracy, respect for the rule of law, human rights and international law.

The integrated political crisis response (IPCR) arrangements is one the EU's crisis response mechanisms. The presidency of the Council can use it coordinate the political response to major and complex crisis, including terrorist acts.