Can the EU Function as a Single Market in an Emergency?

On September 19th, 2022, the European Commission released a proposal for a new Single Market Emergency Instrument. The instrument, which is effectively a toolbox of options that can be leveraged in case of future supply chain disruptions, is one of the many changes the world has seen since the start of the pandemic. The proposal includes flowery phrases like "unity and solidarity" and "cooperation and cohesion." And they sound very nice - in theory. The question is whether they will survive both another macro emergency and also the provisions of the emergency instrument once invoked. In this episode of Dial P for Procurement, host Kelly Barner reviews: • The basic framework and provisions of the European Union Single Market Emergency Instrument • The challenges associated with putting it into practice in the real world • Objections and concerns that have already been voiced from EU member states • A present day example of the power dynamics in Europe that may reveal the weaknesses of a "unified" approach