Amendments providing for liability for non-use of agricultural land are submitted to the responsible committee

On Monday, the Saeima submitted amendments to the Law "On the Privatization of Land in Rural Areas" for consideration by the Parliament's Committee on National Economy, Agrarian, Environmental and Regional Policy, which provide for the application of administrative liability for the failure to use agricultural land for agricultural activities.

In Latvia, it is planned to establish administrative liability for failure to use agricultural land for agricultural activities that was acquired after November 1, 2014, the date when the legal regulation of the land market came into force.

If land with an area of one to 20 hectares has been applied for direct payments and is not used in agricultural activities, a warning or a fine of 15 to 60 euros will be applied to natural persons, and from 50 to 150 euros to legal persons; for land with an area of 21 to 50 hectares, a warning or a fine of 60 to 350 euros will be applied to natural persons, and from 150 to 650 euros to legal persons; for land with an area of 51 to 100 hectares, a warning or a fine of 350 to 500 euros will be applied to natural persons, and from 650 to 1,500 euros to legal persons.

If agricultural land of an area greater than 100 hectares applied for direct payments is not used for its intended purpose, a warning or a fine of 500 to 700 euros will be imposed on natural persons, and from 1,500 to 5,000 euros on legal entities.

The amendments stipulate that the administrative penalty will be applied depending on the area of agricultural land on which agricultural activity has not been initiated or continued after the acquisition of this land. The choice of which penalty – a warning or a fine – to apply to a natural person will be made by the institution that will apply the penalty.

Administrative violation proceedings for violations referred to in this law will be initiated by the executive director of the municipality, the municipal police or the municipal environmental control officer. The administrative violation case will be prepared for review, the administrative violation case will be reviewed and the decision will be made by the municipal administrative commission.

Amendments to the Law "On Land Privatization in Rural Areas" will enter into force after its approval by the Saeima and publication in the official gazette "Latvijas Vēstnesis".