Ukrainan parliament voted for the draft law on agricultural land.
On November 13, the Ukrainian parliamentarians have adopted in the first reading a draft law aimed at removing a moratorium on sale of agricultural land which was in place for over 18 years.
11 draft laws were proposed, including a draft developed by the government. The draft adopted in its first reading was drawn up by the parliamentary committee on agrarian policy.
Passing the law in the first reading does not mean that it has become law. It now goes onto the second reading, changes and amendments will be included and it will be submitted for another voting in the parliament.
Among other provisions, current draft foresees limits on the total area that can be owned by a citizen/legal entity: 35%, of agricultural land in hromada (≈ 5,800 ha); 8% in the oblast (≈ 140,000 ha); and 0.5% of all the country (≈210,000 ha)
According to the terms agreed upon in the first reading, the right to buy agricultural land will belong to: the Ukrainian citizens, the Ukrainian legal entities, the territorial communities and the state.
Foreigners are not a category that enjoys the right to purchase agricultural land, but according to the draft, they will be able to buy land if they found a Ukrainian company. Current draft restricts foreign-owned Ukrainian companies from buying land until 1 January 2024, unless foreign-owned company has been operating on this land and has been registered in Ukraine at least 3 years.
Earlier, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for this last point to be completely removed, and for an all-Ukrainian referendum to be held on this issue before the second reading of the draft law.
Full text of the draft can be seen here.