The CHESSMEN project is a multi-country initiative funded under the EU4Health Programme (EU4H-2021-JA-06) and coordinated by the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA). The project aims to strengthen the capacity of European Union Member States to prevent, monitor, and manage shortages of medicinal products, a growing challenge affecting public health systems and the continuity of patient care across Europe. Medicine shortages result from a combination of manufacturing, distribution, regulatory, and market factors.
The CHESSMEN initiative addresses these challenges by strengthening coordination between national authorities and European institutions and promoting harmonised definitions, procedures, and operational frameworks. Building on existing studies and best practices, the project aims to develop common operational models to improve Member States’ preparedness and response to shortages, while reinforcing links between national monitoring systems and EU mechanisms such as the EMA SPOC Network. The project brings together a consortium of national regulatory authorities and public institutions across Europe. Through coordinated activities and analytical work, CHESSMEN aims to strengthen the resilience of European pharmaceutical supply chains and support authorities in ensuringaccess to essential medicines across the EU.