Foreign fields will be able to be moved on the territory of a given land and even cultivated without the permission of their owners, if the majority of farmers make such a decision. This will be possible in order to compact the plots for more efficient processing.
In detail, it will be possible to “move” the levels of up to one-third of the landowners, who are mostly untraceable, if the remaining two-thirds agree to proceed with the land reclamation process.
Rearrangement of pieces of land will be allowed for the purpose of concreting, i.e. each user should be able to move the fields so as to collect his own in one place on the land of his village. This is clear from amendments to the Law on the Ownership and Use of Agricultural Lands introduced by deputies from GERB, PP-DB and DPS in the parliament.
The kind of “displacements” will happen as before with voluntary agreements between owners or users, where a two-thirds majority has been reached and will be valid from year to year. The previous procedure required 100% consent. In reality, through this procedure, called “comassation of use”, a farmer will be able to cultivate the neighboring fields on his own, having provided the real owner with his own fields in another part of the land in exchange.
Like that the government is responding to the requested legislative changes, which brought farmers from various branches to protest around the country about a month before the rotation. They blocked roads and highways.
A few days ago, it became clear that Brussels had allowed Bulgaria to pay over 61.3 million euros from its budget to the grain producers, who again, with the same protest, insisted on this money.
So far, the most controversial demand of the grain producers has not been included in the amendments to the law – the state to intervene and regulate rent pricesas for example it does through KEVR in the electricity market.
Condition
Another condition for starting the reclamation process is a two-thirds majority of owners (or tenants) who wish to move the fields, to have rights to more than two-thirds of the area of the fields in the respective land.
Farmers whose fields are used automatically and effectively without their consent, because they are mostly undetectable, can receive rent for their land in the so-called off-budget account. The rents are collected in it, because as it is currently conducted “white spots”, i.e. plots that are vacant. Thus, if a person who has been, for example, on a gurbet abroad, returns and finds that his land is being cultivated, he will be able to receive an annuity from this account. Regardless of the legal procedure, there have been a number of reports over the years that such rent was not collected for some plots, but simply seized and used without payment.
Owners who are discoverable but opposed to the displacement of their fields must submit an express declaration, in which to indicate their refusal. This ensures that their fields will not participate in the shuffle and they will continue to use them within real limits, Desislava Taneva from GERB explained to Mediapool.
The order for the designated massifs to participate in the compaction, also called compaction by use, will be appealable in the district courtbecause hypothetically there is a possibility that some of the owners did not understand that there would be a displacement of the pieces of land and for that reason did not declare their express refusal.
Why is it done?
“In this way, the practice will be stopped in which one or several users do not want to sign the agreement prepared by dozens of participants for the aggregated use of the properties in the respective land, or dispute it administratively and judicially, which leads to the suspension of the procedure or to uncertainty in the use of the properties”writes in the reasons of the petitioners.
An important detail is that by June 30 of each year, the users must provide for registration at the municipal agricultural offices, the rental and lease contracts with which they will participate in the reclamation procedure.
Priority for local farmers
New rules are also being introduced for the granting of state lands, which were also demanded by the protesting grain producers. Offered for rent state arrays under lease from now on to happen only after an auction, and not as before and after a competition. It is a novelty that local farmers developing activities such as growing fruits and vegetables, annual field crops, perennial fodder crops, as well as organic producers will be allowed to participate in the auctions. They will have the right to acquire state properties after an auction natural persons, ET or companies that have a permanent address or are registered on the territory of the municipality.
Auctions will be held in two sessions. In the first, farmers who grow fruits, vegetables, annual field crops, perennial fodder crops, as well as organic producers will be able to participate. Farmers developing other agricultural activities in the municipality will be able to participate in the second.
Farmers who cultivate can participate in the tenders for state land no more than 300 decares of vegetables, 300 decares of orchards, 300 decares of annual field crops, 300 decares of perennial fodder crops – cereals, legumes and their mixtures for feeding animals.
How will pastures and measures be distributed?
The amendments to the law introduce a specific order for the distribution of the land and pastures from the state land fund, in the land where the farm is registered. First, to owners or users of organically certified animal husbandry.
Second, to owners or ptenants of farms who, until the date of distribution, used the same properties under expired contracts.
And third, on livestock farmers registered in the respective land.
A committee will draw up a protocol for the final distribution of the properties by May 20, which will be announced in the regional directorate of “Agriculture” and the relevant municipality. The minimum term of the contracts is for 5 years.
