An initiative launched for public consultation provides that foreigners will have the opportunity to buy Albanian agricultural land.

In the context of meeting the conditions for membership, the initiative comes as a legal obligation.

The draft provides that there are nearly 120 thousand ha of undivided land, while when the law comes into force, foreigners will be able to buy 2 ha to 30 ha of agricultural land throughout the country, with the condition that they will make agricultural investments.

Adrian Doko, lecturer at the University of Agriculture, raises some questions about this initiative.

“Currently, as it has been presented, the initiative has some shortcomings. European law gives the first right to its own citizen, so the right of pre-emption should be given to the Albanian farmer and then to the foreigner. This is not precise. Experience has shown that laws are drawn up and are approved and then changed along the way. Who guarantees that it will be alienated from agricultural land? Above all, there is a flaw. It creates inequality, as a European citizen has more financial opportunities than an Albanian, so the price of land will increase at once.

The initiative is a European legal obligation, but it does not solve the biggest problem of Albanian agriculture. land.

“Does this law solve the fact that agricultural land is fragmented? Today, the biggest problem is that the farms have small areas and it does not give farmers the opportunity to work it and come out economically profitable. There are countries that offer it as a requirement that whoever buys agricultural land must also live near it. These details have not yet been reflected. This law, in order to bring innovation, should decide who the investor should provide technology and “green” agriculture and not the one with chemicals”. clarifies Professor Doko.

The Ministry of Agriculture is still in the consultation phase, but its implementation is foreseen after EU membership. /topic

Source: prizrenpost