Subject files - Administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (IMI Regulation) - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Following an agreement at first reading, the European Parliament and the Council adopted a regulation that lays down the rules governing the use of the Internal Market Information System for the implementation of administrative cooperation between the Member States' competent authorities and between the Member States' competent authorities and the Commission. The Internal Market Information System (IMI) is a software application accessible via the internet which was developed by the Commission in cooperation with the Member States. The system is used to assist Member States with the practical implementation of information exchange requirements laid down in Union acts by providing a centralized communication mechanism. The new Regulation establishes a legal framework for the IMI and a set of common rules to ensure that it functions efficiently and to enable its use to be extended to other areas of EU law. The IMI is notably being used for administrative cooperation under the Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, the Services Directive and, on a pilot basis, the Posting of Workers Directive.