The EasyBusiness team, together with colleagues from the CIVITTA consortium and AEQUO Law Firm, presented the “Concept of Harmonizing Ukraine’s Land Legislation with EU Law and Other Best Practices in Land Regulation” within the USAID Agricultural and Rural Development Program – AGRO.
Experts identified key necessary changes and benefits for agricultural producers. Specifically, 14 legislative acts that will facilitate the alignment of Ukrainian legislation with European standards and contribute to the development of land relations and the agricultural sector as a whole.
What will the implementation of the Concept achieve?
- First, it will bring Ukraine closer to EU accession, following the path that all EU member states have taken (and are still undergoing).
- Second, it will open new opportunities for Ukrainian agribusiness and provide access to EU financial resources.
- Third, its implementation will increase the efficiency of the agricultural sector through investment, environmental protection, and improved access to financial resources for farmers.
EasyBusiness Director Dmytro Lyvch took part in the discussion on key legislative changes for harmonizing Ukraine’s land laws with EU law and other best regulatory practices during the panel “Current Issues in Legislative Improvements to Unlock the Potential of the Land Market and Ukraine’s EU Integration.”
According to Dmytro Lyvch, the four priority areas of legislative changes are:
- Access to finance for agricultural producers, particularly changes in the use of lease rights as collateral. The majority of Ukrainian agricultural land (about 65%) is officially leased, and solving financing accessibility issues for agricultural producers will greatly expand credit opportunities.
- The introduction of a modern and effective land consolidation mechanism for agricultural land.
- Ensuring access to the land market for EU citizens, eliminating any form of discrimination.
- The development of organic agricultural production.
“As early as 2021, within the framework of the National Economic Strategy, we set a goal that by 2030, at least 3% of agricultural land should be under organic production (currently, this share is less than 1%). The significant potential of organic agriculture in Ukraine is currently held back by the lack of information about land plots used for organic farming. Solving this issue will contribute to the development of this highly profitable sector,” – noted Dmytro Lyvch.
The event “Land Market: New Players, New Challenges, New Perspectives” was organized by the Kyiv School of Economics.
The recording of the event “Land Market: New Players, New Challenges, New Perspectives” can be viewed at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFcZeH6bAA0&t=8300s