Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme Secretariat

Their core work

AMAP is the secretariat of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, one of six working groups under the Arctic Council. They coordinate pan-Arctic environmental monitoring, compile scientific assessments on pollution and climate change in the Arctic, and translate those findings into policy-relevant advice for Arctic governments. Within H2020, they contribute monitoring expertise, indigenous knowledge integration, and policy-science bridging to large polar research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early H2020 work (2015–2019) centered on building trans-Atlantic research alliances, infrastructure access, and outreach — essentially connecting the European polar research community and opening dialogue with broader society. From 2020 onward, the focus shifted toward operational observation systems, indigenous knowledge integration, and sustainable development in the Arctic. The trend is clear: from networking and coordination toward applied monitoring systems with direct societal and policy relevance.

AMAP is moving from pure research coordination toward building integrated Arctic observation infrastructure that incorporates indigenous knowledge — expect future work at the intersection of Earth observation, climate adaptation, and community-driven monitoring.

How they like to work

AMAP participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an intergovernmental body that contributes expertise rather than leading EU-funded consortia. They operate in large consortia (111 unique partners across 28 countries), reflecting their function as a network hub connecting Arctic research communities. Their repeat engagement across EU-PolarNet and EU-PolarNet 2 shows loyalty to established partnerships while expanding into new ones like Arctic PASSION.

With 111 unique consortium partners across 28 countries, AMAP has one of the broadest collaborative networks in polar research. Their partnerships span well beyond the Arctic nations, connecting Nordic institutions with research groups across all of Europe and beyond.

What sets them apart

AMAP sits at the intersection of science, policy, and indigenous communities in the Arctic — a position almost no other H2020 participant occupies. As an Arctic Council working group secretariat, they bring institutional credibility and direct access to intergovernmental policy processes that academic partners cannot. For any consortium working on Arctic environmental issues, AMAP provides a bridge between field-level monitoring data and the policy tables where Arctic governance decisions are made.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Arctic PASSION
  Their largest project (EUR 479,786) and most ambitious scope — building a pan-Arctic observing system of systems with explicit indigenous knowledge integration.
• EU-PolarNet 2
  Sequel to their first H2020 project, showing sustained commitment to co-designing the European Polar Research Area with a stronger policy advice dimension.
• INTERACT
  Major research infrastructure project providing integrated access to Arctic terrestrial research stations across the pan-Arctic region.