EU Arctic Policy positions EPCO as key hub for polar research coordination

The European Polar Board welcomes the European Commission’s interest to reinforce and expand the role of the European Polar Coordination Office.

Today, 20 October 2026, the European Commission published the Joint Communication “Europe’s Northern Neighbourhood: A New Strategy for the Arctic”, addressed to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. The Communication sets out the EU’s strategic priorities for the Arctic, including a flagship action to develop an EU Polar Research Hub to strengthen research coordination and improve the science-policy interface.

In this context, the Communication explicitly recognises the European Polar Coordination Office (EPCO) as a central element of the EU’s approach to polar research:

“The EU is committed to maintain its position as a leader in Arctic science, including in the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The EU remains a strong proponent of science collaboration and coordination. The EU will reinforce and expand the European Polar Coordination Office, established in 2024 to make it a central coordination hub for the European polar research community and policymakers.”

Under the heading “An EU Polar Research Hub”, the Communication further states:

“The reinforced European Polar Coordination Office will foster alignment between research, observation and policy by better connecting existing structures, such as the EU Polar Cluster, optimising access to polar research and infrastructure as well as strengthening coordination between stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples. The hub will also promote an improved science-policy interface through mechanisms like the International Platform for Ocean Sustainability. Through better coordination of research and resources, the EU will further strengthen polar science and reinforce science-based decision-making.”

EPCO carries forward the legacy of EU-PolarNet 1 &2 projects (2015–2024), EU’s largest polar research coordination initiatives. Following a decision taken within EU-PolarNet2, the European Polar Board (EPB) was entrusted with implementing EPCO and integrating it into the EPB Secretariat, thereby providing a stable institutional home for European polar research coordination and continuation of the EU Polar Cluster and Polar Catalyst.

Since its establishment, EPB has actively positioned EPCO within the wider EU policy and research landscape, linking its role to European priorities through contributions to consultations on the EU Arctic Policy, European Ocean Act, European Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy and European Research Area Act, as well as letters and statements to European institutions and national governments on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034) and Framework Programme 10.

We welcome the Commission’s commitment to reinforce and expand EPCO and look forward to exploring opportunities for EU funding support that builds on its existing governance arrangements, institutional foundations, and ongoing coordination activities.