At the end of April, amendments to the regulations governing the management of agricultural land owned by the State Treasury will come into force. The ban on selling such land is being prolonged for another 10 years, although the lawmakers have introduced a new exception to the ban.
On 30 April 2026, the amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Act on the suspension of the sale of property of the Agricultural Property Stock of the State Treasury and on the amendment of certain acts (the “Suspension Act”) will come into force. Under the new provisions, the period of suspension of the sale of properties from the Agricultural Property Stock of the State Treasury (the “Stock”) has been extended by another 10 years, i.e. until 30 April 2036.
At the same time, the legislators decided to partially loosen the existing restrictions. The most significant change is the introduction of a new exemption: the ban on sales no longer applies to agricultural properties of up to 5 hectares.
Exceptions to the ban of sale
Despite the general suspension of the sale of land from the Stock, the regulations provide for several exceptions which, in practice, are of significant importance to potential investors. Sale is permitted, inter alia, in the case of properties:
- designated in the local zoning plan, the decision on development conditions or the commune’s general plan for purposes other than agricultural,
- located within special economic zones,
- with an area of up to 5 ha (a new exception introduced by the Amendment).
Why has the term been extended?
The prolongation of the restrictions stems from the government’s policy on the management of agricultural land owned by the State Treasury. This policy stipulates that the primary method of disposing of such properties should be leasing, rather than sale.
In the opinion of the authors of the bill, leasing is a solution beneficial to farmers – it enables them to carry out their activities without having to bear the high costs of purchasing land. The funds saved in this way can be allocated to development and investment. At the same time, the State Treasury retains ownership of the land and control over how it is used.
Summary
The Amendment maintains a restrictive approach to the sale of state-owned agricultural land but introduces practical simplifications – particularly in the case of smaller properties. From a market perspective, this means that leasing will continue to be favoured as the primary form of land use within the Stock, whilst investment opportunities are expanded.