The Verkhovna Rada prolonged a moratorium for the purchase/sale of farm lands until January 1, 2013, by making relevant amendments to the Land Code.

Earlier, transitional provisions of the Land Code envisaged a moratorium for the sale of lands until January 1, 2012.

The aim of the law is to prolong operation of the moratorium for the purchase/sale or alienation of land plots and change of the purpose of farm lands, since the prevailing majority of the norms of the law "On the State Land Cadastre" and a new wording of the law "On the State Registration of Proprietary Interest for Immovable Property and their Restrictions" will come into force in 2013.

The proposed document provides for setting a clear term of operation of the ban for alienation and change of the purpose of land plots, designated for conducting of agricultural production, personal farming enterprise, as well as entering of the right for the land share into authorized capitals of economic entities, in particular until January 1, 2013.

In addition, the deputies prolonged possibility of the use of farm lands for farming without approved land arrangement plans until January 1, 2013.

In particular, the Verkhovna Rada postponed the law provision "On Making Amendments to some Legislative Acts of Ukraine in the Part of Soil Quality" on administrative responsibility for the use of farm lands without approved land arrangement projects, which ensure ecological-economic grounding of crop rotation, arrangement of farm lands and measures for land protection.

According to the existing law, use of relevant punitive sanctions, according to the Code of Administrative Violations, had to come into force since January 1, 2012.

Ukrinform