Programme in details 2026

Opening, Welcome and Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy  by Nils Elmegaard, Chair

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

An introduction to the agricultural sector in Spain Keynote: Gabriel Trenzado, Managing Director Cooperativas AgroalimentariasChief Executive at Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)

Catching the Omnibus!

Panel debate:

• Sevda Haghi Kia, Sevda Haghi Kia, Global Regulatory Affairs Manager for Seed Treatment & Biologicals, KWS;
• Jose Maria Castilla, Head of Office to the EU, 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, Chair

WG Monitoring Illegal Seed Activities by Corné van Beers, General Director, Breeders Trust

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, Chair

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

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

10:00-10:30 Pewas 

10:30-11:00 Lantmännen BioAgri

Opening, welcome, Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy by Paul Devisme , Chair

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 Sacristan Sanchez, Head of Unit, EU-COM DG SANTE; Ana Judith Martin 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

NOT the odd one out – the Spanish success story of GM maize cultivation  by Conchi Novillo, Bayer Cropscience, Chair Committee Plant Breeding ANOVE

OECD Seed Schemes  by Nicault Aurelia, OECD and Philippe Lesigne, Bayer

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 , Chair

Closure and date of next meeting by Paul Devisme , Chair

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

Where are we in the evaluation process of the Community Plant Variety Rights? by Spyridon Flevaris , Team leader – Plant Reproductive Material, EU-COM

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

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

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, Nataliia Uskova, Chair

16:00-16:30 Zayndu 

16:30-17:00 BioConsortia

Opening, welcome, Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy by Etienne Bouquet, Chair

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, Chair

Moderation: Marcel Bruins, SeedWorld Europe

Market developments 

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

Making sense of the PRM Regulation: rules for Herbicide Tolerant Varieties

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, Chair SOF

Opening, welcome, Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy by Jörg Renatus, Managing Director at EUROPLANT Pflanzenzucht and Chair of SPO Section

Minutes of the last meeting by Amalia Kafka, Technical Manager Sustainable Seed Technologies, 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 at EUROPLANT Pflanzenzucht and Chair of SPO Section

09:00-09:30 SeedForward

09:30-10:00  Agrobiomics 

Opening, welcome, Anti-Trust Guidelines and AI Policy by Hein Bemelmans, Chair of the SVO Section

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 ETP

Still mind the gap! Status of the EU – UK SPS discussions by Annette Kliemann, European Commission; Henry Bellshaw, DEFRA; Ed Barker, AIC (Online)

Making sense of the PRM Regulation: vegetable specific aspects by Hilde Van Dyck, Bayer Crop Science

Organics: by Clément Cardon , Manager Public Affairs, 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, Chair of the SVO Section

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 resilience 

Input by Andreas Frank, Defense Leader & Partner, Forensic & Integrity Services, EY

Panel debate:

• Elli Tsiforou, Secretary General COPA-COGECA;
• Alexander Döring; Director General FEFAC;

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 Dordjevic, UC Davis & Shawn Brook, Seed World Group; Judith Reese, WvB Eckendorf, award winner

Closure by Marco van Leeuwen, Euroseeds Vice-President

Welcome: Shawn Brook, President Seed World Group

Short keynote: Ernst and Young

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