administrative cooperationmeans the collaboration between IMI actors by exchanging and processing information for the purpose of better application of Union law;
administrative cooperation proceduremeans a pre-defined workflow provided for in IMI allowing IMI actors to communicate and interact with each other in a structured manner;
blockingmeans applying technical means by which personal data become inaccessible to IMI users via the normal interface of IMI;
competent authoritymeans any body established at either national, regional or local level and registered in IMI with specific responsibilities relating to the application of national law or Union acts listed in the Annex in one or more internal market areas;
external actorsmeans natural or legal persons other than IMI users that may interact with IMI only through separate technical means and in accordance with a specific pre-defined workflow provided for that purpose;
formal closuremeans applying the technical facility provided by IMI to close an administrative cooperation procedure.
IMImeans the electronic tool provided by the Commission to facilitate administrative cooperation among the IMI actors;
internal market areameans a legislative or functional field of the internal market, within the meaning of Article 26(2) TFEU, in which IMI is used in accordance with Article 3 of this Regulation;