Committees · Internal Market and Consumer Protection

IMCO

2 ESN seats

Internal Market and Consumer Protection.

The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection is responsible for Parliament’s legislative work on the Single Market.

ESN seats

Members total

Subcommittees

2024–29

10th term

Mandate & Tasks

What This Committee Handles.

Its remit includes cross-border trade, public procurement, customs, technical standardisation, consumer protection and digital-market rules. Through the ordinary legislative procedure, IMCO shapes legislation that directly affects national regulatory systems, consumer rights and compliance requirements for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.

Key facts · IMCO

Full name

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Size

52 members

ESN seats

2 of 52

Subcommittees

Meeting cycle

Legal basis

Annex VI of the EP Rules of Procedure

ESN in IMCO

Single Market and Customs Programme, the Automotive Omnibus, the Industrial Accelerator Act

— ESN Committee Booklet · Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Remit

Four Policy Areas of the Committee.

ESN Position

Our Line in the Committee.

The Group’s priorities in this committee, as set out in the ESN Committee Booklet.

Protecting Effective National Rules

ESN focuses on protecting effective national rules from unnecessary EU overregulation and shielding citizens and businesses from additional bureaucracy.

Relief for Enterprises and Craft Businesses

It supports relief for small and medium-sized enterprises and craft businesses, protection of national policy space and close scrutiny of delegated and implementing acts.

Freedom of Expression and Consumer Protection

ESN opposes digital and internal-market rules that could restrict freedom of expression or create centralised enforcement structures, while supporting strong national contract law and practical consumer protection.

ESN Members in IMCO

Two Seats in This Committee.

The two ESN seats in IMCO are held by the Members listed below. The named assignment is updated at the start of each session period.

Full Member

Arno BAUSEMER

Full Member

Petr BYSTRON

As of 2026 · Full list with named assignments available on request from the secretariat

Track record

Key Achievements.

Parliament approved the Alternative Dispute Resolution agreement in December 2025 following interinstitutional negotiations. ESN supported the final framework because it strengthened consumer protection without transferring unnecessary additional powers to EU institutions. The agreement improved transparency and accessibility, allowed the Member States to determine whether the system should apply to disputes with third-country traders and preserved both digital and non-digital access. ESN has also opposed centralised oversight mechanisms such as the AI Office where they may infringe national competences and has scrutinised reform of the Union Customs Code.

ESN in action

Supported a proportionate Alternative Dispute Resolution framework.

Opposed centralised European Union enforcement structures.

Scrutinised digital, customs and market-surveillance legislation.

Outlook

Looking Ahead.

ESN will focus on files including the Single Market and Customs Programme, the Automotive Omnibus, the Industrial Accelerator Act, the Digital Omnibus, medical devices, the Digital Networks Act and the cybersecurity and NIS2 package. These dossiers directly affect subsidiarity, proportionality, administrative burdens, compliance costs, procurement, market surveillance, digital regulation and national discretion in implementation.

Documents

From the Parliament.

Studies, briefings and meeting documents of this committee, published by the European Parliament.

Draft Report · 2026

Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013

Opinion · 2026

Guidelines for the financial year 2027 budget – all sections

Provisional Agreement · 2026

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2016/424, (EU) 2016/425, (EU) 2016/426, (EU) 2023/1230, (EU) 2023/1542 and (EU) 2024/1781 as regards digitalisation and common specifications

Provisional Agreement · 2026

Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives 2000/14/EC, 2011/65/EU, 2013/53/EU, 2014/29/EU, 2014/30/EU, 2014/31/EU, 2014/32/EU, 2014/33/EU, 2014/34/EU, 2014/35/EU, 2014/53/EU, 2014/68/EU and 2014/90/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards digitalisation and common specifications

Draft Opinion · 2026

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2017/745 and (EU) 2017/746 as regards simplifying and reducing the burden of the rules on medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/123 as regards the support of the European Medicines Agency for the expert panels on medical devices and Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 as regards the list of Union harmonisation legislation referred to in its Annex I

Draft Opinion · 2026

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2016/679, (EU) 2018/1724, (EU) 2018/1725, (EU) 2023/2854 and Directives 2002/58/EC, (EU) 2022/2555 and (EU) 2022/2557 as regards the simplification of the digital legislative framework, and repealing Regulations (EU) 2018/1807, (EU) 2019/1150, (EU) 2022/868, and Directive (EU) 2019/1024 (Digital Omnibus)

Draft Opinion · 2026

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on digital networks, amending Regulation (EU) 2015/2120, Directive 2002/58/EC and Decision No 676/2002/EC and repealing Regulation (EU) 2018/1971, Directive (EU) 2018/1972 and Decision No 243/2012/EU (Digital Networks Act)

Draft Opinion · 2026

Guidelines for the financial year 2027 budget – all sections

Related committees

Also of Interest.

Three closely related committees in which the ESN Group is represented.

TRAN

Transport and Tourism

The Committee on Transport and Tourism is responsible for Parliament's work on transport and tourism policy.

REGI

Regional Development

The Committee on Regional Development is responsible for the Union's cohesion and regional policy, including the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and Interreg.

ITRE

Industry, Research and Energy

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy is responsible for the Union's industrial policy and competitiveness, research and innovation, space policy and energy.