A BATTLE ABOUT LAND
MIROSŁAW PIOTROWSKI
During 12-year cadency many thousands of hectares of the Polish land were sold out, with omission of law and using the so-called poles
Joining the European Union, Poland has negotiated a transitory time of 12 years in which free sale of land was stopped. It has been year on 1 May this year since then, so, we will get adjusted to the European norms according to which theoretically in each country it was allowed for purchasing land without a citizen of a different country of the Union. Generally speaking - according to EU provisions, Poles, the Hungarians, the English and the Belgians can buy land in Germany, in France and Denmark, whereas the Germans, the French and the Danish in our country.
Everything is about the word ‘but’. It concerns legal national security which these countries added to the EU law. And, for example, in Germany every citizen of the Union can buy land, but only after gaining permission from a legal administrative body. Right for purchase and in particular situations of preemption belongs to a local land company. Moreover, in Denmark everybody can buy land but in order to do it, he must cultivate it himself, and also, when he purchases over 30 hectares he must sell the land which he has got in another country, start living in Denmark permanently and what is more, he must pass an agricultural exam in Danish. Similar security means have been introduced in the recent years by countries of Central- Eastern Europe. It is the reason why in practice, despite the binding EU law, nobody from abroad wants to purchase this land. Nearly at last minute, Poland has accepted the act created by the Polish People’s Party protecting our land, and which was to be implemented on 1 May 2016. The government of Law and Justice, however, noticed that during the 12-year cadency, many thousands of hectares of the Polish land were sold out, with omission of law and using the so-called poles. The National Control Chamber, which had made control in 3 provinces, during 2.5 years, stated that the Agricultural Estate Agency allowed for ‘uncontrolled sale of state land, particularly to foreigners’. Only in one province sale of 7.6 hectares was stated, with quite an impudently manipulated law. The governing rightist authority in Poland does not want to sanction it and on a day before the EU transitory time expires and with implementation of the act of the Polish People’s Party, it introduces its own and more restrictive project. It outraged activists of the Polish People’s Party who think that the new project will bring harm to farmers and the price of land will drastically drop. They behave like a child from whom a toy is taken away and who mourns that he cannot to show it to others, for example potential electors, any more. However, officially everyone wants the good of our land.
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„Niedziela” 12/2016