EU, Ukrainian experts create conditions for completion of land reform

The International twinning project "Assistance in Development of open and transparent Agricultural Land Market in Ukraine," funded by the European Union, was launched earlier this year. The main direction of its activity is the introduction of advanced European practices in the turnover of agricultural land and thus bringing Ukrainian legislation in line with European standards, the Information-Analytical Bulletin of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine reports.

It should be noted that the basis of twinning projects is a collaboration of high rank experts from relevant ministries and agencies of the EU and beneficiary countries. In this case, the experts of the State Agency of Land Resources of Ukraine fruitfully cooperate with experts from Netherlands, Germany and Lithuania. Throughout the year legislation norms concerning turnover of agricultural land, land evaluation, land consolidation, land management, including land of state property will be reviewed and adjusted, standards for the Land Registry and the development of land information systems will be set. The total project budget reaches 1.8 million EUR.

Experts say that the project will create transparent conditions and give an additional impetus to the development of the land relations strategy in Ukraine. The Ukrainian land legislation can distance itself from the controversial issues of the past to improve land legislation, taking into account the best practices of the EU. In turn, this project will contribute to the professional level improvement of the land experts.

"The project will create proper conditions for the opening of the land market, completion of land reform, will protect the rights of the land ownership, will help develop agricultural production and attract investment in the agricultural sector, to form a fair pricing policy for agricultural land and ensure development of rural infrastructure," Sergiy Timchenko, Chairman of the State Agency of Land resources, said.