The EuChemS Executive Board met on 13 – 14 June in Brussels for two days of active discussions on a broad range of topics, including the latest debates and news on Plan S and the Open Science Policy Platform (OSPP), as well as on the activities taking place in light of the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT2019). Jan Reedijk, co-chair of the InterUnion Management Committee IYPT2019, joined the meeting to present some of the initiatives held so far and those still to come. The Board also welcomed the EYCN’s new Chair, Antonio M Rodriguez Garcia to his first Executive Board meeting (where he was accompanied by the EYCN’s adopted mascot, professor Chem Chicken). The Executive Board in turn discussed persisting issues linked to gender balance within the sciences amongst other topics. Finally, discussions focused on the next EuChemS Chemistry Congress to be held in Lisbon, Portugal in 2020.