On 15 October 2026, an international scientific conference was held online, organised by the European Council for Rural Law (CEDR – Comité Européen de Droit Rural) in cooperation with the University of Valladolid and the journal AgroSociales. The event was chaired by CEDR President Esther Muñiz Espada.

The main objective of the conference, entitled “Reflections on EU Observatory on Agricultural Land, Control and Access to Farmland”, was to establish an analytical and expert basis for the possible creation of a European Observatory on Agricultural Land. This new European platform is intended to contribute to greater transparency, a better understanding of how the agricultural land market operates, and more effective monitoring of access to land throughout the European Union.

The conference brought together renowned experts, academics and legal professionals from seven countries: France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. The speakers presented national legislative frameworks, specific challenges facing agricultural land markets, and their own perspectives on the potential functioning of the future Observatory.

Slovakia and the Slovak Association of Agricultural Law were successfully represented at the conference by Professor JUDr. Lucia Palšová, PhD, and Professor JUDr. Anna Bandlerová, PhD, from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. Their presentation, entitled “Legal and Practical Challenges of Access to Agricultural Land in Slovakia”, highlighted the specific features of the Slovak legal system and the situation of Slovak farmers.

The event concluded with remarks by CEDR Secretary-General Roland Norer, who emphasised the importance of international dialogue and professional cooperation in shaping common European policies on land protection and agricultural land markets.