{"id":2953,"date":"2026-10-01T11:50:51","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T09:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europe-land.eu\/?p=2953"},"modified":"2026-10-01T11:55:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T09:55:46","slug":"europe-land-brings-iacs-research-and-policy-perspectives-together-at-ice-conference-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europe-land.eu\/pt\/news\/europe-land-brings-iacs-research-and-policy-perspectives-together-at-ice-conference-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe-LAND brings IACS research and policy perspectives together at ICE Conference 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

How can agricultural data support a better understanding of land-use change and the effects of agricultural policy across Europe? This question was at the centre of a dedicated Europe-LAND Science-Policy Dialogue<\/strong> held during the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) Community Exchange Conference (ICE)<\/strong> in Sofia from 8\u201310 September 2026. Organised by the European Commission\u2019s Joint Research Centre (JRC)<\/a> in cooperation with Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development<\/a> (DG AGRI) and the Bulgarian State Fund Agriculture. The ICE Conference brings together national authorities, paying agencies, EU institutions, researchers and other experts working with IACS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ICE conference<\/strong> is an annual event where those working on the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS)<\/a> meet to discuss technical matters and facilitate the sharing of best practice in CAP implementation. The conference connects industry and research with national and regional paying agencies that are seeking innovative tools to implement the CAP effectively and efficiently. (adapted from JRC<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecting IACS research with policy and practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Europe-LAND session lead by partners from IAMO<\/a> provided a platform to present recent research findings on the potential of IACS data for understanding agricultural land-use patterns and supporting evidence-based CAP implementation. The session formed the concluding knowledge-exchange activity of Europe-LAND Task 2.3 and brought together research findings with perspectives from national data providers, paying agencies, the European Commission and other stakeholders. Approximately 250 participants attended the session, which combined presentations, interactive questions and a moderated discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A particular focus was placed on the value of harmonised, parcel-level IACS data<\/strong>. Europe-LAND research demonstrated how linking agricultural parcels across several years can reveal spatial patterns in crop sequences and crop-sequence diversity across Europe. The analyses also highlighted the relevance of factors such as climate, topography, livestock production and market accessibility for understanding differences in agricultural land-use patterns. Where stable, pseudonymised holding identifiers are available, IACS can additionally support analyses at farm level, including farm size, crop portfolios, organic farming, livestock intensity and responses to CAP interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outcome of the Science-Policy Dialogue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The discussions in Sofia also highlighted that the research potential of IACS remains only partly realised. Participants pointed to differences in national data structures and classifications, limited metadata, access restrictions and technical and administrative barriers. In particular, the availability of stable pseudonymised holding identifiers remains important for linking parcels to farms over time and for analysing farm-level responses to policy measures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dialogue identified five priorities for strengthening the use of IACS for research and policy: <\/p>\n\n\n\n