Peculiarities of Land Reform and Introduction of the Land Market in Ukraine: Legal Security and Consequences

Abstract

During the years of Ukraine's independence, the issue of land reform and the opening of the market for agricultural land was on the agenda of the legislative and executive branches of government. According to the Constitution of Ukraine, land is the most valuable wealth and property of the Ukrainian people. Land reform is not the first attempt by the authorities to change land relations in Ukraine, but it was to resolve the controversial issues of Ukrainian land. The implementation of land reform provided not only the introduction of effective mechanisms of land tenure and land use, but also the development of a modern land market on the basis of a market economy. Land reform has been hampered by corruption, a moratorium on the sale of agricultural land, and the desire of some politicians to speculate on the issue. Therefore, the moratorium in Ukraine was introduced as a temporary tool to protect landowners in the underdeveloped infrastructure of the land market. The adopted Law of Ukraine in 2020 removes the moratorium and gives the right to owners of agricultural land to dispose of their land at their own discretion. In the future, the opening of the land market should be a significant change in the life of Ukrainian society. However, the villagers face a number of unresolved issues that need to be clarified. Parliament and the government are expected to adopt and implement new land laws, such as decentralization of land management, the state e-auction, and the establishment of an independent Partial Lending Fund to increase smallholder access to flexible financing.