The European Polar Board’s (EPB) Plenary, comprising representatives and alternate representatives of its member institutions - research institutes, logistics operators, funding agencies, scientific academies, and government ministries from across Europe - convenes twice a year, in spring and autumn, to discuss scientific and organisational priorities of the EPB.

This year’s Autumn Plenary meeting was held in The Hague (Den Haag), the Netherlands, on 12–13 November. It was hosted by the Netherlands Polar Programme (NPP) and the EPB Secretariat at the Dutch Research Council (NWO), where the EPB Secretariat has been hosted for the past 10 years.

EPB members were warmly welcomed to The Hague during a reception organised by the NPP on 11 November. The event took place at The Spanish Court (Het Spaansche Hof), a former city palace and national monument renowned for its impressive architecture and history. The official Plenary meeting commenced on 12 November with an opening speech by Dr. Tanja Kulkens, Director of the NWO Domain Science (ENW).

The Autumn 2024 Plenary featured many fruitful discussions and important decisions, including the election of a new Chair and two Executive Committee (EXCOM)members. Prof. Peter Sköld (EPB Member Representative for the Arctic Centre at Umeå University, Sweden) was elected as the new Chair. The Plenary also elected two new EXCOM members: Prof. Carlo Barbante (EPB Representative for the Italian National Programme for Research in Antarctica) and Dr. Dragomir Mateev (EPB Alternate Representative for the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute).

The meeting concluded with a heartfelt acknowledgment of Dr. Renuka Badhe, the current Executive Secretary, whose second term is coming to an end. Over the past 10 years, Dr. Badhe has been an invaluable asset to the EPB, making substantial contributions to advancing European polar research.

We extend our congratulations to the new Chair and EXCOM members and wish them success in their roles, working alongside the incoming Executive Secretary, Dr. Maria Grigoratou, to shape the future of the EPB. We also express our deep gratitude to the outgoing Chair, Nicole Biebow, who served in this role for 3 years, 4 years as an EXCOM member and made significant contributions to the EPB's growth and impact.

Special thanks are owed to the Netherlands Polar Programme (NPP) and the Dutch Research Council (NWO) for not only hosting the Autumn 2024 Plenary Meeting, but also for their decade-long support as the host of the EPB Secretariat. We are also grateful to all EPB members for their active participation in this productive meeting and we look forward to welcoming them to the Spring 2024 Plenary Meeting, hosted by Umeå University in Sweden on 8-9 May 2025.