30 Years of the European Polar Board
Author
Maria Grigoratou
Published On
In 2025, the European Polar Board (EPB) marks its 30th anniversary, celebrating three decades of coordination and collaboration in European polar science. Since its establishment in 1995 and its evolution into an independent organisation in 2016, EPB has grown from a strategic advisory body into a central European forum representing 31 member organisations from 22 European countries. Throughout its history, EPB has fostered cooperation across disciplines, institutions and nations, ensuring that European Arctic and Antarctic research speaks with a coherent and influential voice on the global stage.
Over the past 30 years, EPB has played a key role in strengthening coordination across European polar research, supporting access to research infrastructures, advancing responsible research practices, and bridging science and policy. From its contributions to landmark initiatives such as the fourth International Polar Year, EuroPICS, and PolarCLIMATE, to the development of shared tools and platforms such as PolarDEX, EPB has continually adapted to evolving scientific, environmental and societal challenges. In 2025, the integration of the European Polar Coordination Office (EPCO) into the EPB Secretariat further reinforced EPB’s role as a neutral, trusted hub for EU-funded polar research coordination.
Looking ahead, EPB enters its fourth decade with a renewed commitment to advancing transdisciplinary, impactful polar science that addresses climate change, biodiversity loss and societal resilience. EPB will continue to strengthen partnerships with policymakers, Indigenous rights holders, research communities and international organisations, while supporting major international frameworks such as the fifth International Polar Year 2032–2033 and the UN Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025–2034).
To learn more about EPB’s achievements, priorities and vision for the future, read the full Statement from the EPB Chair, Professor Peter Sköld.
Read online here.
Download the pdf document here.