The aim of the report is to present the subject of the symposia and to indicate the main issues addressed in papers presented at sessions and research fora at the 39th EAA Annual Congress, which took place in Maastricht (Netherlands) on 11–13 May 2016. The scientific program of the Congress included the plenary session, 13 symposia, 130 parallel sessions and 72 research forum sessions in which 701 papers were presented. The Congress was attended by about 1000 participants from almost 50 countries.