EASAC was founded in June 2001[4] and was headquartered at the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in Halle (Saale) until 31 December 2022.

[4] EASAC was set up as a mechanism of collaboration for its member Academies, in particular for providing “science-for-policy” advice to the institutions of the EU.

[5] EASAC aims to provide science-based analysis and recommendations on questions that are of relevance to EU policy thinking and development, e.g. on plastics in the circular economy,[9] genetically modified crops,[10] climate change and health,[11] forest biomass for energy,[12] or decarbonisation of transport.

[16] Project remits require both considerations of the implications of the scientific evidence for policy formulation and the evaluation of the adequacy of the relevant science base.

The aim of the Biosciences Programme is to inform policy-makers through scientific analysis on topics such as health, agriculture, and the progression of novel technologies with potentially multiple applications.

[23] These have generally focused on sharing of good practice of member Academies on questions such as the management of working groups and engagement with policy-makers and the media.

As a result of the first such activity, a document on Good Practice Guidance for Managing Dialogue Between Academies of Science and Policy Communities was published in 2013.

[25] Since 2020, EASAC has organised a series of virtual 'Science Communications Webinars', focusing on the contribution of the European Science Academies to the efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.

[17] Council sets EASAC's direction, agrees on the initiation of projects, monitors their progress, and reviews and approves reports and other types of documents for publication.

EASAC’s Brussels Office at the Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium is also part of the Secretariat.

The Secretariat also manages EASAC's communication activities, such as press releases, newsletters, website, and social media pages.