Assembly adopts changes to Law on agricultural land - Effective as of September 1

On Monday (August 28, 2017) the Serbian Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Agricultural Land, which will limit purchase of land to foreign nationals from EU countries.

132 lawmakers voted for amendments to the laws, which envisage the conditions for sale of agricultural land in private ownership, and 13 against.

In order to purchase land, a foreign citizen of EU country must have at least 10 years of residence in Serbia, that is, in a local government unit in which he wants to buy a country, to process it for at least three years, must have registered agricultural holdings, machinery and equipment I would do agricultural production.

It can acquire up to two hectares of agricultural land in private ownership.

The ban on sale of agricultural land to EU citizens in the zone of 10 kilometers from the border is specified.

Amendments to the Law will enter into force on the day following the date of their publication in the Official Gazette "and shall be applied as of September 1.

This law should prevent complete liberalization of agricultural land transactions, which was envisaged by the Stabilization and Joining Agreement.

Namely, it was planned application of provisions of ASJ, which equate the rights of citizens of Serbia and EU in the purchase of agricultural land, was envisaged September 1.

As it has been defined, amendments to the law do not apply in the case of property restitution carried out in line with the laws governing restitution of seized property to former owners.

The minister in charge of agriculture and the minister in charge of finance shall prescribe by agreement terms, time limit, manner and procedure of the right of purchase.

Other countries struggled in accession negotiations for a long-standing ban on sale of land to foreigners entering EU as well.