Programme

Opening, Welcome and Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy  by Nils Elmegaard, Secretary General, Danish Seed Association, Chair of Euroseeds SFG

Minutes of the last meeting by Branislava Popov, Euroseeds Technical Manager Variety Registration and Seed Marketing

More than Almeria! The Spanish seed sector Keynotes: Antonio Villaroel, Director General, ANOVE, Treasurer of Euroseeds, Co-Chair of Euroseeds CIPR

An introduction to the agricultural sector in Spain Keynote: Gabriel Trenzado Falcón, Managing Director Cooperativas Agroalimentarias

Catching the Omnibus!

Video message from Herbert Dorfmann, MEP; rapporteur on the Omnibus X proposal

Speakers:

Anne Alix, Policy Leader Europe Middle East and Africa, and Global Policy Leader for Precision Applications Corteva; Chair Euroseeds CSTP (Moderator)

Amalia Kafka, Technical Manager Sustainable Seed Technologies, Euroseeds

Panel debate:

• Sevda Haghi Kia, Sevda Haghi Kia, Global Regulatory Affairs Manager for Seed Treatment & Biologicals, KWS;
• Jose Maria Castilla, Director General, Asaja;
• Rocio Vilches Mora , Area Coordinator for Plant and Forest Health and Hygiene, Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Moderator: Anne Alix, Policy Leader Europe Middle East and Africa, and Global Policy Leader for Precision Applications, Corteva- Chair Euroseeds CSTP

Making sense of the PRM Regulation: amateur uses, certification requirements, mixtures by Nils Elmegaard, Secretary General at Danish Seed Association and Chair of Euroseeds SFG Section

WG Monitoring Illegal Seed Activities by Corné van Beers, General Director, Breeders Trust, Chair of Euroseeds WG MISA

Summary of activities 2025/2026 and next steps by Branislava Popov, Technical Manager Variety Registration and Seed Marketing, Euroseeds

a.o.b.

Closure and date of next meeting  by Nils Elmegaard, Secretary General, Danish Seed Association, Chair of Euroseeds SFG

Opening and welcome by Amelie Detterbeck, Euroseeds Manager Research Projects and Innovation Transfer

Kick-off address by InnovAction Parner EY by Martin v.  Michaelis, Partner Assurance Berlin, EY

 

10:00-10:30 Pewas 

10:30-11:00 Lantmännen BioAgri

Opening, welcome, Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy by Paul Devisme , CEO – Director General, Limagrain, Chair of Euroseeds SMS

Minutes from the last meeting by Klára Kipielová, Manager Advocacy Coordination, Euroseeds

Keynotes:

•  The New EU NGT Regulation: From Adoption to Implementation by Christophe Gaillochet, Manager Plant Breeding Innovation, Euroseeds
•  Cultivating clarity: making the NGT Regulation work across Europe by Irene Sacristán Sánchez, Head of Unit, EU-COM DG SANTE; Ana Judith Martín de la Fuente, Biotechnology Area Coordinator, MAPA; Gary Rudgers, Senior Director Regulatory Affairs, Simplot; Anja Matzk, Head of Regulatory Affairs, KWS

          Moderator: Markus Gierth, Manager Plant Innovation, BDP (moderator); Chair of Euroseeds CPBI

NOT the odd one out – the Spanish success story of GM maize cultivation  by Concepción Novillo, Scientific Affairs Manager, Seeds & Traits, Bayer Crop Science, Chair, Committee Plant Breeding Innovation, ANOVE

OECD Seed Schemes: International Certification in Action  by Nicault Aurélia, Programme Officer, Codes and Schemes Unit, OECD and Philippe Lesigne, EMEA Crop Regulatory Lead, Corn & Industrial Bayer Crop Science

Market overview maize and sorghum – After Drought and Heatwaves: Making Sense of the Market Ma(i)ze  by Pierre Guillaumin, Project Manager for Economics and International Development, FNPSMS

Summary of activities in 2025/2026 and next steps by Klára Kipielová, Manager Advocacy Coordination, Euroseeds

a.o.b. by Paul Devisme , CEO – Director General, Limagrain, Chair of Euroseeds SMS

Closure and date of next meeting by Paul Devisme , CEO – Director General, Limagrain, Chair of Euroseeds SMS

14:00-14:30 Ensemo

14:30-15:00 Insignes Labs

Opening, welcome and Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI policy by Francesca Garbato, Manager Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs, Euroseeds

Minutes of the last meeting by Francesca Garbato, Manager Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs, Euroseeds

Election of chair  by Francesca Garbato, Manager Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs, Euroseeds

Making it work: building an effective Code of Conduct

Why a Code of Conduct matters for the breeding sector by Claudia Hallebach, General Counsel, KWS; Chair of Euroseeds CIPR and Francesca Garbato, Manager Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs, Euroseeds

Brainstorming session; input statements  Richard Wells, Senior Patent Attorney, Tropic; Hervé Monconduit , Head of Patents, Bayer and Olivier Lucas, Stretegic Partnership & Product Excellence Director, RAGT

Brainstorming session: Q&A by Claudia Hallebach, General Counsel, Head of Global Legal and Intellectual Property, KWS; Chair of Euroseeds CIPR; Antonio Villaroel, Secretary General, ANOVE; Treasurer of Euroseeds; Co-Chair of Euroseeds CIPR; Francesca Garbato, Manager Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs, Euroseeds

Questions by Marcel Bruins, Editorial Director, SeedWorld Europe

Where are we in the evaluation process of the Community Plant Variety Rights? by Spyridon Flevaris , Policy Officer, Plant Health Unit, DG SANTE
European Commission

From evaluation to action: why we need a better CPVR system by José María Castilla, Director General, Asaja; Szonja Csörgő, Legal Counsel, Bejo; Artur Paszkowski, Deputy Director, Polish Seed Trade Association; Francesco Mattina, President, CPVO

Moderator: Isabel Pérez Cabrero, Lawyer, Guarriges Law Firm (Moderator)

Concluding reflections – a UPOV perspective by Martin Ekvad, Director Legal Affairs, UPOV

The state of play in hybrid wheat by Szabi Ruthner, Senior Market Acceptance Manager EMEA, BASF; Chair of Euroseeds SWG Hybrid Cereals

Summary of activities in 2025/2026 and next steps by Francesca Garbato, Manager Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs, Euroseeds

a.o.b. 

Closure and date of next meeting by Nataliia Uskova, EMEA Crop Regulatory Lead – Portfolio Strategy OSR, HW, SF, Bayer Crop Science, Chair of Euroseeds SCP

16:00-16:30 Zayndu 

16:30-17:00 BioConsortia

Opening, welcome, Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy by Etienne Bouquet, Regional Portfolio Lead, Seed Licensing EMEA-APAC, Vylor, Chair of Euroseeds SOF

Minutes of the last meeting by Branislava Popov, Technical Manager Variety Registration and Seed Marketing, Euroseeds

Caught in the crossfire? Oil and fibre crops between ILUC/RED restrictions and a new EU Protein Plan by Justyna Wrobel, DG AGRI ; Alexander Döring, Secretary General FEFAC, Nathalie Lecocq, Director General FEDIOL; Mateusz Stankiewicz, Farmer, COPA-COGECA; Etienne Bouquet, Regional Portfolio Lead, Seed Licensing EMEA-APAC, Vylor, Chair of Euroseeds SOF

Moderation: Marcel Bruins, Editorial Director, SeedWorld Europe

Market developments 

• Oilseed Rape by Andrea Richter, Head Of SBU Oilseed Rape at KWS
• Sunflower by Nicolas Colliot, Field Crops Strategy and Portfolio Management, Syngenta
• Soybean by Hansjörg Schlichtner, Head Of Sales at SAATBAU LINZ eGen

Making sense of the PRM Regulation: rules for Herbicide Tolerant Varieties by Szabi Ruthner, Senior Market Acceptance Manager EMEA, BASF
Chair of SWG Hybrid Cereals

Future proofing ISTA by Sergio Pasquini, Vice-President ISTA

Summary of activities 2025/2026 and next steps by Branislava Popov, Technical Manager Variety Registration and Seed Marketing, Euroseeds

a.o.b.

Closure and date of next meeting by Etienne Bouquet, Regional Portfolio Lead, Seed Licensing EMEA-APAC, Vylor, Chair of Euroseeds SOF

Opening, welcome, Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy by Jörg Renatus, Managing Director, Europlant Pflanzenzucht, Chair of Euroseeds SPO

Minutes of the last meeting by Amalia Kafka, Technical Manager Sustainable Seed Technologies, Euroseeds

 

Socio-economic impact of FSS – Setting the Scene by Francesca Garbato, Manager Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs, Euroseeds

Socio-economic impact of FSS and Q&A by Steffen Noleppa, Managing Director, HFFA Research

Making sense of the PRM Regulation: potato specific aspects by Amalia Kafka, Technical Manager Sustainable Seed Technologies, Euroseeds

Summary of activities 2025/2026 and next steps  by Amalia Kafka, Technical Manager Sustainable Seed Technologies, Euroseeds

a.o.b. 

Closure and date of next meeting by Jörg Renatus, Managing Director, Europlant Pflanzenzucht, Chair of Euroseeds SPO

09:00-09:30 SeedForward

09:30-10:00  Agrobiomics 

Opening, welcome, Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy by Hein Bemelmans, Advisor to the Board, Enza Zaden; Chair of Euroseeds SVO

Minutes of the last meeting by Claudius Marondedze, Euroseeds Technical Manager Plant Health and Seed Trade

(Re-)searching the future of EU crop breeding: project COLiBRI by Yasmine Ambrogio, Manager Research Policy and Project Coordination, Euroseeds; Germán Vighi, Executive Manager, Plants for the Future (Plant ETP)

Still mind the gap! Status of the EU – UK SPS discussions by Annette Kliemann, First Counsellor Agriculture and Food, Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom; Henry Bellshaw, UK Agriculture, Food and Drink Attaché for Southern and Eastern Europe, British Embassy, Madrid; Ed Barker, Head of Policy and External Affairs, AIC

 

Making sense of the PRM Regulation: vegetable specific aspects by Hilde Van Dyck, EMEA Regulatory Portfolio Strategy Manager Vegetable Seeds, Bayer Crop Science

Organics: shaping the future of organic plant reproductive material in Europe: by Clément Cardon , Public Affairs Manager, Euroseeds

Summary of activities 2024/2025 and next steps by Claudius Marondedze, Technical Manager Plant Health and Seed Trade, Euroseeds

a.o.b. 

Closure and date of next meeting by Hein Bemelmans, Advisor to the Board, Enza Zaden; Chair of Euroseeds SVO

11:00-11:30 SaliCrop  

11:30-12:00 Seedrise

Opening, welcome, Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy by Marco van Leeuwen, Euroseeds Vice-President

Welcome to Valencia

Crisis prepardness and contingency planning for European agriculture and food security

Introduction by Garlich von Essen, Secretary General & CEO, Euroseeds

Keynotes:

Address by Vicente Tejedo Tormo; Secretary for Agriculture, Water, Livestock and Fisheries

Input by Jakob Großehagenbrock, Business Resilience, crisis Management and sports Governance and Strategy

Panel debate:

• Elli Tsiforou, Secretary General COPA-COGECA;
• Alexander Döring; Director General FEFAC;
• Jakob Grossehagenbrock, Crisis Managnement Lead, EY
• Raschad Al-Kahfaji, Director of FAO Brussels – Liaison Office with the European Union and Belgium;
• Antonio Villaroel, Secretary General ANOVE;

Moderation by Garlich von Essen, Secretary General & CEO, Euroseeds

UC Davis European Plant Breeding Academy: award to the best student of the 2025/2026 academy year by Jovan Djordjevic, Director, UC Davis & Shawn Brook, President, Seed World Group; Judith Reese, Norddeutsche Pflanzenzucht Hans-Georg Lembke KG, award winner

Closure by Marco van Leeuwen, Euroseeds Vice-President

Welcome: Shawn Brook, President Seed World Group

Short keynote: Jakob Großehagenbrock, Business Resilience, crisis Management and sports Governance and Strategy

Presentation of the InnovAction Stage 2026 participants and winners and Panel with InnovActor 2025, InnovActor 2026 and runner-ups by Shawn Brook, President Seed World Group

Closure by Garlich von Essen, Secretary General & CEO, Euroseeds

Welcome and introduction, by Garlich von Essen, Secretary General and CEO of Euroseeds

• Christophe Gaillochet , Manager Plant Breeding Innovation, Euroseeds
• Germán Vighi, Executive Manager, Plants for the Future ETP
• Judith Reese, Winner UC Davis Plant Breeding Academy
• Johannes Wolff, Founder & CEO at phenoLytics, Euroseeds2025 InnovAction Stage Winner
• Onur Çamili, Europe Head of Field Crop Seeds, Syngenta

Moderator: Jean-Paul Judson,  Founder at NOWMORE

First discussion round with students and panelists 

Networking and coffee break 

Second discussion round

Announcement of the NextGen Forum Traineeship Winners

Closing remarks by Garlich von Essen, Secretary General and CEO of Euroseeds