Membership is open to individuals who are professionally engaged in or associated with these fields and related studies, including students, early career scientists and retired seniors.

[3] It also organises several topical meetings, as well training events and summer schools, and provides support and funding for numerous education and outreach activities.

The meeting's sessions cover a wide range of topics, including volcanology, planetary exploration, the Earth's internal structure and atmosphere, climate change, and renewable energies.

[6] The EGU founding members were: Jan Backman, Jonathan Bamber, Ray Bates, Günter Blöschl, Lars Clemmensen, Max Coleman, Peter Fabian, Gerald Ganssen, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, David Gee, Fausto Guzzetti, Albrecht Hofmann, Jürgen Kurths, Yves Langevin, John Ludden, Arne Richter, Michael Rycroft, W. Schlager, Roland Schlich, Isabella Premovi Silva, Christopher Spotl, Håkan Svedhem, Hans Thybo, Bert Vermeersen, David Webb, Jerzy Weber, Richard Worden.

In August 2011, the EGU signed an agreement with the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and with the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) with the aim to promote the cooperation between the institutions.

In June 2019, the EGU announced a new chapter in its history: the Union launched a new strategy and moved its Executive Office to new premises in the Berg am Laim area of Munich.

The open access journals Biogeosciences (BG) and Ocean Sciences (OS) had been launched via Copernicus Publications in March and November 2004, respectively.

In 2005, EGU launched the open access journals Climate of the Past (CP) and eEarth in July and October, respectively through Copernicus Publications.

The open access journals The Cryosphere (TC) and Geoscientific Model Development (GMD) were released in 2007 via Copernicus Publications.

In June 2007, the EGU launched Imaggeo,[14] an open access database featuring photos and videos relating geosciences.