Modern legal studies recognise the usefulness and necessity of distinguishing agricultural law norms. As part of the analysis of the legal impact of agricultural law norms, the phenomenon of publicization is also pointed out, which means a gradual increase in public legal regulations within the framework of agricultural law norms. As part of this phenomenon, not only do administrative norms gain in importance, but also programme norms within the framework of the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy. The aim of this article is to assess the scope of legal impact of programme norms in agricultural law, determining the objectives to be achieved in the market and income policy and the structural policy in agriculture and rural areas, in particular through an attempt to establish the legal character of the Rural Areas Development Programme as an act of the application of EU and national programme regulations. The author presents and justifies the position that the normative provisions of the Rural Areas Development Programme, due to its role, construction and manner of enactment, should be classified as mandatory legal provisions.