Its main objective is to ensure cooperation between geoparks for the protection of geological heritage and the promotion of sustainable development of their territories in Europe.
The 1990s are widely considered as the birth of geoheritage as a dedicated domain of the geosciences, dealing with the preservation and valorisation of the Earth's abiotical heritage, its geodiversity.
The international partnership was developed under the umbrella of UNESCO and in October 2004 the Madonie Declaration was issued during the 5th Annual Meeting of EGN.
(at 18 April 2018): The executive decisions and operative work of EGN take place within the half-year coordination meetings, hosted every spring and autumn by one of the institutional members.
These are open to non-institutional and non-individual EGN members as well, functioning as venues of scientific exchange and networking opportunity, related to the geoparks concept.