Land Reform in Eastern Europe Western CIS, Transcaucuses, Balkans, and EU Accession Countries Renee Giovarelli Seattle, Washington
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The Rural Development Institute (RDI), located in Seattle, Washington, USA, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. RDI is a unique organization of lawyers devoted to problems of land reform and related issues in less developed countries and transitional economies. RDI's goal is to assist in alleviating world poverty and instability through land reform and rural development. RDI staff have conducted field research and advised on land reform issues in 35 countries in Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. For more information about RDI, visit the RDI web site at www.rdiland.org. Renee Giovarelli is a staff attorney at RDI and the Director of RDI's Kyrgyzstan and Women & Land Programs. David Bledsoe is a staff attorney and Deputy Director of Administration at RDI. This report was prepared for submission to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The authors express their appreciation for the valuable input provided by Roy Prosterman, Leonard Rolfes, and Robert Mitchell. The authors would also like to acknowledge the important contributions of the following RDI Research Assistants to the preparation of this report: Laura Gerber, Oesa Glick, Devon Shannon, Kallie Szczepanski, and Alethea Williams. |
II. CIS Countries: Western CIS States (Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova)
A. Policy and Legislative Framework
1. Land Titling and Registration
2. Roles of the Public and Private Sectors
III. CIS Countries: Transcaucasus States (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan)
A. Policy and Legislative Framework
1. Land Titling and Registration
2. Roles of the Public and Private Sectors
IV. The Balkan Countries of Albania and the Former Yugoslavia
A. Policy and Legislative Framework
2. Land Privatization and Farm Reorganization
1. Land Titling and Registration
3. Roles of the Public and Private Sectors
A. Policy and Legislative Framework
a. Re-Established Ownership Rights
b. Compensation to Former Land Owners and Former Farm Workers
a. Agriculture Dominated by Large Cooperative Farms
b. Agriculture Dominated by Private Farms
ii. Low Prices for Agricultural Land and Products
iii. Restrictions on Foreigners and Legal Entities Owning Land
v. Historical Association with Land
a. Lack of Clear Ownership Rights
b. Incomplete, Conflicting, or Unreliable Mortgage Legislation and Infrastructure
c. Weak Land Values, and Bank Attitudes Toward Agricultural Land
d. Inability of Legal Entities (Banks) to Own Land
e. Under-Capitalized Banking Sector
f. Limited Reach of Guarantee Funds
a. Lack of a Unified Registration System
b. Land Taxes and Registration
c. Slowness of New Registration Systems
d. Lack of a Clear Statement as to the Legal Effect of Registration
4. Cohesive Land Policy and Administration
VI. Analysis and Policy Options
1. Western CIS Countries (Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova)
2. CIS Countries: Trans-Caucasus States (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan)
C. Policy Options and Recommendations
9. Role of the Public and Private Sector