CEDR Appointed to the European Commission's Expert Group on Farmland

CEDR (Comité Européen de Droit Rural), of which our Association of Agrarian and Environmental Lawyers is a full member, has been selected by the European Commission (DG AGRI – Unit A1: Policy Perspectives) as a member of the Expert Group on Farmland.

CEDR President Professor Esther Muñiz Espada announced this important achievement on Europe Day, 9 May 2026. This appointment represents a significant recognition of CEDR's scientific and professional expertise and confirms its long-standing position as one of the European Union's leading partners in the development of policies relating to agricultural land.

Membership of the Expert Group will enable CEDR experts to contribute actively to the preparation of opinions and recommendations for the European Commission concerning future policies on the ownership, use, protection and sustainable management of agricultural land.

CEDR at the Senate of the Kingdom of Spain

The Newsletter also reports on the international conference entitled "Legislative Proposals to Promote Agriculture and Rural Areas", which took place on 20 February 2026 at the Senate of the Kingdom of Spain in Madrid.

The conference was opened by Professor Esther Muñiz Espada, President of CEDR. The programme focused on current issues of European agricultural law, including the legal status of farmers, family farms, generational renewal, agricultural cooperatives, support under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), rural development, and the protection of geographical indications for agricultural products.

We are proud that Professor JUDr. Lucia Palšová, PhD., Vice-Rector of the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, chaired one of the conference's expert sessions.

European Union Legislative Developments

The latest issue of the Newsletter also provides a comprehensive overview of the most important EU legislative developments adopted during 2025–2026, including:

• the simplification package for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP);
• the amendment to the Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation;
• new rules on deforestation-free products;
• the new Regulation on forest reproductive material;
• the Regulation on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs).

Recent Case Law of the Court of Justice of the European Union

The Newsletter also contains a review of recent judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union that have significant implications for agricultural law, including decisions concerning:

• usufruct rights relating to agricultural land;
• the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs);
• the protection of property rights and the principle of proportionality in Member States' interventions.

Invitation to the 2027 CEDR Congress

The Newsletter also invites the academic and professional community to participate in the 33rd CEDR Congress, which will be held in Luxembourg in September 2027.

As is customary, the Congress will focus on current developments in European agricultural law and will provide an excellent forum for presenting the latest research findings and promoting international academic and professional dialogue.