Suchergebnisse

Agricultural land is Lithuania's national property. Agriculture in Lithuania is a priority area which is of great economic, social and environmental significance. On 1 May 2014 the established transitional period of accession of the Republic of Lithuania to the European Union expired, during which the acquisition of agricultural land was restricted to foreign entities. In order to enforce some safeguards on land acquisition and to prevent it from becoming the object of speculations between foreigners and the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania a new amendment to the Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land was introduced. The Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land established additional safeguards which restricted the possibilities of land acquisition not only to the foreign entities but also to the citizens of Lithuania. A person who wants to acquire agricultural land must meet high requirements, have a diploma of agricultural education and be engaged in agricultural activities. It is also requested to fill the purchaser's declaration and get a permit of National Land Service. There are many other requirements which will be analysed in this paper. The question then arises: Do such strict law regulations violate the right of private ownership and freedom of individual economic activity which is established in Article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania? It is important to mention that on 26 March 2015 the European Commission started a legislative procedure against Lithuania because of agricultural land acquisition constraints. The fact that the European Commission started a legislative procedure on its own initiative proves that agricultural land acquisition constraints possibly restrict an individual's freedom of action. The aim of this postgraduate paper is to analyse the ways of agricultural land acquisition, to determine the constraints established in the laws and to answer the question if agricultural land acquisition constraints do not violate the principle of economic freedom.

Agricultural land is Lithuania's national property. Agriculture in Lithuania is a priority area which is of great economic, social and environmental significance. On 1 May 2014 the established transitional period of accession of the Republic of Lithuania to the European Union expired, during which the acquisition of agricultural land was restricted to foreign entities. In order to enforce some safeguards on land acquisition and to prevent it from becoming the object of speculations between foreigners and the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania a new amendment to the Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land was introduced. The Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land established additional safeguards which restricted the possibilities of land acquisition not only to the foreign entities but also to the citizens of Lithuania. A person who wants to acquire agricultural land must meet high requirements, have a diploma of agricultural education and be engaged in agricultural activities. It is also requested to fill the purchaser's declaration and get a permit of National Land Service. There are many other requirements which will be analysed in this paper. The question then arises: Do such strict law regulations violate the right of private ownership and freedom of individual economic activity which is established in Article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania? It is important to mention that on 26 March 2015 the European Commission started a legislative procedure against Lithuania because of agricultural land acquisition constraints. The fact that the European Commission started a legislative procedure on its own initiative proves that agricultural land acquisition constraints possibly restrict an individual's freedom of action. The aim of this postgraduate paper is to analyse the ways of agricultural land acquisition, to determine the constraints established in the laws and to answer the question if agricultural land acquisition constraints do not violate the principle of economic freedom.

Agricultural land is Lithuania's national property. Agriculture in Lithuania is a priority area which is of great economic, social and environmental significance. On 1 May 2014 the established transitional period of accession of the Republic of Lithuania to the European Union expired, during which the acquisition of agricultural land was restricted to foreign entities. In order to enforce some safeguards on land acquisition and to prevent it from becoming the object of speculations between foreigners and the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania a new amendment to the Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land was introduced. The Provisional Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land established additional safeguards which restricted the possibilities of land acquisition not only to the foreign entities but also to the citizens of Lithuania. A person who wants to acquire agricultural land must meet high requirements, have a diploma of agricultural education and be engaged in agricultural activities. It is also requested to fill the purchaser's declaration and get a permit of National Land Service. There are many other requirements which will be analysed in this paper. The question then arises: Do such strict law regulations violate the right of private ownership and freedom of individual economic activity which is established in Article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania? It is important to mention that on 26 March 2015 the European Commission started a legislative procedure against Lithuania because of agricultural land acquisition constraints. The fact that the European Commission started a legislative procedure on its own initiative proves that agricultural land acquisition constraints possibly restrict an individual's freedom of action. The aim of this postgraduate paper is to analyse the ways of agricultural land acquisition, to determine the constraints established in the laws and to answer the question if agricultural land acquisition constraints do not violate the principle of economic freedom.