The Verkhovna Rada at an extraordinary meeting has adopted a law on opening the land market from July 1, 2021 with the restriction of its operation in the first three years only to land plots owned by individuals with a maximum ownership of 100 hectares per capita. According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, 259 MPs voted for bill No. 2178-10 on farmland turnover at second reading and as a whole on Tuesday night with the quorum being 226 votes.
The votes for the law were distributed as follows: Servant of the People with 206 votes, European Solidarity with 23 votes, Holos with 13, Dovira with 12, non-affiliated with five votes. The factions of Opposition Platform-For Life, Batkivschyna, and For the Future group did not give a single vote in support.
The document stipulates that from January 1, 2024 legal entities will be able to purchase agricultural land, the concentration threshold per entity will increase to 10,000 ha. The sale of agricultural land of state and municipal property is prohibited.
In addition, banks get the opportunity to obtain land as recovery of collateral, however, such land plots should be sold at auction within two years.
According to the bill, the access of foreigners to the land market will depend on the results of the national referendum.
In addition, it is stipulated that until January 1, 2030 the selling price of agricultural land plots allocated to land plot holders cannot be less than their regulatory monetary value.
