In response to these challenges, the JA STOCKPILE Joint Action has been launched to establish comprehensive and sustainable strategic stockpiles of medical countermeasures (MCMs) for use in health emergencies. The initiative aims to improve preparedness for serious cross-border health threats, support the development of more sustainable national MCM stockpiles, and enable faster and more effective distribution, deployment, and use. It also seeks to strengthen cooperation among Member States and provide a basis for future policy recommendations. Altogether, the project will contribute to enhancing Europe’s health security.
Building on the lessons learned from past health emergencies, the project aims to create a coordinated, multi-layered stockpiling system. The concept of stockpiling will be developed not only in terms of quantity and availability but also with regard to sustainable stockpile management, rapid deployment, and effective use—ensuring that MCMs can be applied more efficiently both within the European Union and globally.
The objectives of the project are aligned with the framework of the European Health Union, the “One Health” approach, and the EU Global Health Strategy, and directly support the practical implementation of the EU’s stockpiling and medical countermeasures strategies adopted in July 2025.
Overall, JA STOCKPILE contributes to strengthening the EU’s crisis management governance framework, with the aim of improving stockpiling and health security, thereby facilitating faster and more effective responses.
The project involves 25 EU Member States and neighbouring - 4 non-EU- countries, 54 organisations under the EU4Health programme. The project coordinator is the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), which works in close collaboration with EU and international authorities (e.g. Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the World Health Organization (WHO)).
Hungary, represented by the National Directorate General for Hospitals (OKFŐ), leads the Communication and Dissemination Work Package (WP2) and is responsible for all related tasks. In addition, OKFŐ leads the Training Work Package (WP5), coordinating and implementing all WP5 activities. Within the Coordinated, Layered Stockpiling System Work Package (WP7), OKFŐ is responsible for task 7.2, contributes to tasks 7.1 and 7.4, and is also involved in the activities of Work Packages 4, 8, and 9.
The project Kick-off Meeting took place on 9–10 September 2025 in Helsinki, Finland, bringing together representatives from 25 countries, 31 competent authorities, 23 associated partners, and 3 collaborating partners, along with invited stakeholders and high-level stockpiling experts.
(DISCLAIMER) Stockpile is funded by the European Union implemented under the EU4Health Programme (2021 – 2027). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only, and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.