In partnership with the Netherlands, the first Belgo-Dutch expedition (1963–65) not only reached the South Pole but also established a new Roi Baudoin Base, less than 100 meters from the old one which had been buried in snow.
After the closure of the base in 1967, three further summer expeditions were sent in cooperation with South Africa, but in 1971 all governmental support for Antarctic research was temporarily halted.
The broad objectives of the Belgian Antarctic Program financed by the Federal Science Policy since 1985 are:[1] The themes covered by Belgian scientists can be brought under in four major disciplines:[1] Before the construction of Princess Elisabeth Base which was fully completed in 2009, Belgium had no logistics support of its own for Antarctica since the former base was closed.
The new Belgian base will be open to scientists from all other Antarctic Treaty partner countries willing to perform research activities in the area.
Inaugurated in 2009, Belgium built a new summer research station named Princess Elisabeth Base in Utsteinen in East Antarctic Dronning Maud Land.