European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP): Guidance, training materials and events

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) provides guidance and training materials to help stakeholders of the European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) adopt and use the platform. EMA also organises events to support them and facilitate their involvement in the platform’s development.

EMA updates guidance and training materials related to the platform on a regular basis. The content of these documents reflects the status at the time of publication.

To find high-level information on the platform, including how it works, reporting requirements for marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) and national competent authorities (NCAs), and how it can support EMA on human medicine shortages, see:

European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) essentials: Industry and network reporting requirements

For more information, see:

• European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP)

How to fulfil reporting obligations via ESMP

EMA makes available factsheets for a quick and comprehensive overview of reporting obligations for different scenarios. They contain information for:

• Marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) on routine reporting of shortages and availability under normal circumstances;

• MAHs and national competent authorities (NCAs) on reporting during crisis and preparedness situations.

Select the expandable panels below to find the factsheets.

ESMP factsheets for MAHs

Factsheet - Industry reporting via the European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) during a crisis or MSSG-led preparedness action

Factsheet - Industry reporting via the European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) in normal circumstances

ESMP factsheets for NCAs

Factsheet - Network reporting via the European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) during a crisis

Factsheet - Network reporting via the European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) during an MSSG-led preparedness action

Training for marketing authorisation holders

EMA makes available training materials for marketing authorisation holders (MAHs).

EMA also offers recordings of previous trainings for MAHs. These include demonstrations of the platform's functionalities, including:

• how to submit a shortage of a centrally authorised product in normal circumstances and update the submission;
• how to report in crises and MSSG-led preparedness actions.

Select the expandable panels below to access the training materials and the links to the recordings.

Training materials for MAHs

MAHs can find step-by-step guidance on access, navigation, and submissions in the platform in the following user guide:

European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) User guide for marketing authorisation holders

 

Guidance is available to ensure submissions pass validation checks:

European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP): Implementation guide for marketing authorisation holders

 

Find prototypes of templates the platform generates for submitting data in the following file:

European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP): Marketing authorisation holder reporting templates

Links to recorded trainings for MAHs

To find specific content in a training recording, e.g. shortage management in the EU, the overview of the ESMP, specific ESMP functionalities and reporting processes, hover your mouse over the video timeline.

Alternatively, open the video on YouTube and refer to the timestamps in the description

• European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP): updates and question and answer (Q&A) clinic for marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) (24/06/2025)
• European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) workshop on application programming interface (API) for marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) (24/03/2025)
• European Shortages Monitoring (ESMP) Question and answer clinic for marketing authorisation holders on shortage reporting via ESMP (25/02/2025)
• European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) training on crisis and MSSG-led preparedness reporting for marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) (19/02/2025)
• European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) training session on routine shortage reporting for marketing authorisation holders of CAPs (20/11/2024)
• European Shortages Monitoring Platform Essentials and Industry Reporting Requirements (24/06/2024)

Training for national competent authorities

EMA also makes available training materials and recordings of trainings to national competent authorities (NCAs).

Select the expandable panels below to access them.

Training materials for NCAs

NCAs can find step-by-step guidance on access, navigation, and submissions in the platform in the following user guide:

European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) User guide for national competent authorities

 

Guidance is available to ensure submissions pass validation checks:

European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP): Implementation guide for national competent authorities

 

Find prototypes of templates the platform generates for submitting data in the following file:

European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP): National competent authority reporting templates

Links to recorded trainings for NCAs

Login is required to access both trainings below.

• EU Network Training Centre (EU NTC) course: NCA API workshop (17/02/2025)
• EU Network Training Centre (EU NTC) course for NCAs about the platform (login required) (30/01/2025)
• European Shortages Monitoring Platform Essentials and Industry Reporting Requirements (24/06/2024)

ESMP events

Throughout 2024 and 2025, EMA organises events to familiarise relevant stakeholders with the platform.

Select the expandable panel below to find a list of event pages related to ESMP, including video recordings of past events.

Full list of ESMP events

• European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) training on Readable IDs and general updates for industry (14/04/2026)
• European shortages monitoring platform (ESMP): updates and question and answer (Q&A) clinic for marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) (24/06/2025)
• European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) workshop on application programming interface (API) for marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) (24/03/2025)
• European Shortages Monitoring (ESMP) - Question and answer clinic for marketing authorisation holders on shortage reporting via ESMP (25/02/2025)
• European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) training on crisis and MSSG-led preparedness reporting for marketing authorisation holders (MAHs) (19/02/2025)
• European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) training session on routine shortage reporting for marketing authorisation holders of CAPs (20/11/2024)
• European Shortages Monitoring Platform Essentials and Industry Reporting Requirements (24/06/2024)

EMA carries out public system demonstrations - or demos - to inform and involve stakeholders in the development of the European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP).

Select the expandable panel below for information on how to access the related video recordings.

Links to public system demonstrations

To find video recordings select the related event pages linked in the table below.

Demo event	Functionalities showcased	Video recording timestamp
Quarterly system demo – Q3 2024 (18/09/2024)	National demand for NCAs Stock and supply for NCAs Patient estimation for NCAs Data analytics platform	00:05:45
Quarterly system demo - Q2 2024 (26/06/2024)	Marketing status for nationally authorised products data submission flow for MAHs Manufacturing information for centrally authorised products data submission flow for MAHs	00:25:22
Quarterly system demo - Q1 2024 (26/03/2024)	User interface design MAH routine reporting of shortages of centrally authorised products Portal for EMA case management of shortages Public health emergency monitoring dashboards for member states	03:01:45
Quarterly system demo - Q3 2023 (21/09/2023)	Template download for marketing authorisation (MAH) holder bulk submission of shortages Submission of alternative substances Embedding marketing status for centrally authorised products Data analytics platform	00:26:24
Quarterly system demo - Q1 2023 (22/03/2023)	Data elements and upload for MAH bulk submission of shortage information	2:17:20
Quarterly system demo - Q3 2022 (28/09/2022)	MAH submission of individual shortages (functionality obsolete)	1:08:53

Described functionalities may change over time as the development process is gradual and iterative.

For information on other events featuring the ESMP, please search via keywords ('ESMP' or 'European shortages monitoring platform') in the events section on EMA's corporate website. There you can look for both upcoming and past events:

• Events