12.11.2026
EPOS, the European Plate Observing System, and EUMETNET, the European network of National Meteorological Services, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise their collaboration and bring solid Earth science and meteorology closer together.
The MoU establishes a framework for sustained cooperation between EPOS and EUMETNET over the next three years, connecting their expertise in these complementary fields. Its main goal is to make data and services of common interest easier to share, combine and reuse across the two infrastructures’ user communities, support open science, and better meet users’ needs while making effective use of both organisations’ resources.
EPOS and EUMETNET both have extensive experience in data sharing, providing a strong foundation for an active exchange of knowledge. Their collaboration will include sharing best practices, comparing approaches, and exchanging practical IT solutions to make data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). A second major benefit is the potential to boost multi- and cross-disciplinary collaboration through the adoption of common standards and stronger connections between the two infrastructures. Initial attention will focus on metadata, APIs and links with data providers.
These objectives are reflected in three main areas identified for cooperation:
- FAIR data management;
- data sharing and common standards; and
- user engagement and communication.
Activities will range from knowledge exchange and sharing of best practices to fully fledged joint initiatives developed during the three-year collaboration period.
“For EUMETNET, this collaboration is an important step in strengthening the connections between meteorological and other European data infrastructures. By sharing expertise, aligning standards and improving interoperability, we can make our data and related services more accessible, usable and valuable to a wider range of users, while supporting innovation and delivering greater public value across Europe.”
said Klemen Bergant, EUMETNET Executive Director.
Sharing approaches to understanding users’ needs and raising awareness of the complementary resources available to both communities will help broaden both organisations’ user communities, identify existing multi- and cross-disciplinary use cases and support the creation of new ones.
Important areas of application include climate science and the prevention and mitigation of natural-hazard risks through a multi-risk approach.
“At EPOS, we have long recognised that bringing together different communities and making the most of their diverse perspectives enriches our knowledge and opens up new ways of approaching scientific problems.” Lilli Freda, EPOS ERIC Executive Director, commented “That’s why we welcome this collaboration with EUMETNET as a great opportunity to address together some of the big challenges our society is facing right now, such climate change and the prevention and mitigation of multiple, interacting risks, within a shared European ecosystem.”
The Memorandum of Understanding provides for regular coordination through strategic and technical meetings. Activities will be guided by an agreed work plan to translate the partnership’s objectives into practical cooperation.
