The reform is aimed at the enforcement of the people’s constitutional rights to freely dispose of their property; the formation of empowered local communities by transferring public agricultural land to them as key means of production and economic development of regions; and to ensure transparent and effective management of land resources.
The following goals are to be achieved to implement the land reform:
creating a transparent agricultural land market;
ensuring transparent and effective land management.
The ban on the purchase and sale of agricultural land had the following negative impact: the negative migration balance of the rural population; low rent paid to landowners; soil depletion; the development of the shadow economy and budget revenue shortfalls across the country.
Today, landowners are paid about UAH 3,000 of rent per hectare versus UAH 5,000, the amount they would receive if a higher competition existed. This means that each landowner is underpaid an average of 7,500 hryvnias a year per unit of land.
The ban on the disposal of agricultural land has made private land plots highly illiquid. This prevents from granting long-term loans to agriculture or attracting more investment in the agricultural sector causing blocking of long-term investments in horticulture, vegetable farming and livestock husbandry, processing of agricultural products, land reclamation and consolidation.
The introduction of a long-term ban on free disposal of agricultural land has escalated the issue of effective use and protection of land.
The National Land Cadastre lacks information on land plots whose owners gained their rights thereto before 01 January 2013, which facilitates violation of the rights and legitimate interests of individuals and other subjects of proprietary rights to land plots.
The management of agricultural and forestry lands, natural reserves or coastal protecting bands is undermined due to of lack of information on a great number of such land plots in the National Land Cadastre.
This gives rise to uncontrolled mechanisms of agricultural land cultivation, corruption in the management and disposal of this type of land, inefficient use of land resources, and low quality of services provided to individuals and entities in the land right registration process.
Step-by-step introduction of the agricultural land market with competitive rules and terms promoting the development of agricultural production and rural areas by: ensuring equal rights and responsibilities for all market participants, electronic bidding for exercising the rights to public and municipal lands (except for the sale of public and municipal agricultural lands), and land rights advocacy.
Entering into the National Land Cadastre of complete and reliable information on land plots whose owners received their property rights (documents of title) before 01 January 2013.
Completing an inventory of public land. Entering into the State Land Cadastre information on public agricultural land plots and other types of public lands.
Implementing a new unified methodology of statutory valuation of lands of local communities. A simple and effective process for the submission of information on statutory valuation of land plots will be created for land owners and land users based on the National Land Cadastre system.
Deregulation of the process of land management and land valuation documentation approval, introducing a mechanism for agricultural land consolidation. Sustainable and efficient land use by streamlining the ownership and use of agricultural land. Improving technology for agricultural land use. Increasing the investment appeal of land plots.
Launching the national geospatial data portal by developing and approving the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure Process, and publication of geospatial data. Defining the composition of geospatial data, appointing entities responsible for creating and updating of geospatial data and for arranging production, updating, processing, storage, publication and use of geospatial data.
Stopping corrupt practices of shadow lease of public land and municipal enterprises. Increasing budget revenues from land use.
Creating a transparent agricultural land market
Entering into the National Land Cadastre information on land plots whose owners gained their rights thereto before 01 January 2013. Data about at least 10% of such land plots are expected to be entered by the end of the year.
Ensuring transparent and effective land management
Performing an inventory of all public agricultural lands.
Transfer of public lands located outside settlements (except for lands the state must retain to perform its functions) to village, township and city councils.
Carrying out electronic land auctions to facilitate their automation, increase competition and revenues to the budgets at all levels.
Improving the interaction between information systems of national registers to control the total area of agricultural land owned by each person and related persons, avoid potential mistakes (form reliable databases); entering information on the price and value of property rights into the Property Rights Register and the National Land Cadastre.
Digitalisation of public services, i.e. conversion of all administrative services provided by the National Land Cadastre into electronic format.
Developing and submitting to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of a draft resolution on approval of a new unified Statutory Land Valuation Methodology.
Developing and submitting to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of a draft law on land consolidation.
Developing and approval of the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure Process and appointing the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure Council.
The Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre, the USAID Agriculture and Rural Development Support project, State-owned Enterprise “Research Institute of Geodesy and Cartography” and State-owned Enterprise “National Land Cadastre Centre”.
Law of Ukraine “On National of Geospatial Data Infrastructure”
Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Regulations of Ukraine on Land Use Planning”