IPEV and the European Polar Board: Continuity and Institutional Change

For more than thirty years, the Institut polaire français Paul-Émile Victor (IPEV) has supported French polar research by providing logistical and operational services for scientific work in the Arctic and Antarctic. Through this role, IPEV has contributed to European and international polar research activities and to long-standing scientific cooperation.

From January 2026, IPEV is no longer be a member of the European Polar Board (EPB). This change reflects a broader evolution in the organisation of French polar research and its representation at the European level.

IPEV will continue its activities under Ifremer, ensuring continuity in the operational support it provides to polar research programmes. Its mission to serve the scientific community remains unchanged.

At the same time, the French polar research community, including researchers affiliated with IPEV-supported programmes and with universities and research institutions across France, will continue to be represented within the EPB by the CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique). This ensures ongoing French engagement in European polar coordination and dialogue.

We look forward to continued cooperation and collaboration between IPEV, the European Polar Board, and the wider European polar research community.

EPB Secretariat