The European Polar Board (EPB) is an independent organisation focused on major strategic priorities in the Arctic and Antarctic. EPB Members include research institutes, logistics operators, funding agencies, scientific academies and government ministries from across Europe.
The EPB’s vision is of a strong and cohesive European Polar research community, wherein decisions affecting or affected by the Polar Regions are informed by independent, accurate, and timely advice from the EPB.
The EPB has a mission to improve European coordination in Arctic and Antarctic research through improved information sharing, optimised infrastructure use and joint initiatives between Members.
We promote multilateral collaborative activities between our Members and provide a single contact point for the European Polar research community as a whole for international partners.
We advance the collective knowledge of Polar issues, particularly in the context of European societal relevance.
The EPB’s work is largely implemented though its various Action Groups, focused on issues such as infrastructure, international cooperation, policy advice and the environmental impacts of polar research and logistics.
The EPB also participates in large-scale projects with European and international partners, with tasks focusing on coordination of polar research and communication with policymakers or other stakeholders.
The EPB Members together form the Plenary, which meets twice annually to advance its work in line with the EPB Strategy.
Established by the European Science Foundation in 1995, the European Polar Board (EPB) has operated as an independent entity since 2015. For a decade, the EPB Secretariat was hosted by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) in The Hague. As of 2025, the Secretariat is hosted by the Arctic Centre at Umeå University in Sweden, together with its newly established European Polar Coordination Office (EPCO).
Launched in January 2025, EPCO serves as a central contact point for the European polar research community, policymakers, and decision-makers, including the European Commission. Building on the outcomes of the two successful EU-PolarNet projects, EPCO strengthens coordination and cooperation in European polar science. More information is available here.
