The luminescence of a novel rare earth (RE) oxycompound, lanthanum oxycyanamide La 2 O 2 CN 2 doped with the Eu 3 + ion, was measured at 77 K. The 7 F J (J = 0-4) energy level scheme for the 4f 6 electron configuration was simulated by a phenomenological crystal field (c.f.) model according to the C 2 v point symmetry of the RE 3 + site by using nine non-zero c.f. parameters. The experimental energy levels were reproduced with a rms deviation equal to 7.3 cm - 1 . The parameter set is characterized by a very strong value for the B 2 0 and some fourth-rank parameters, indicating an important long- and mid-range c.f. interaction. The results of the c.f. analysis resemble closely those obtained earlier for some other RE oxycompounds (the tetragonal oxyhalides, oxynitrates, oxysulphates, and oxymolybdates) as far as the long- and mid-range c.f. contributions are concerned.