Sale of agricultural lands located outside built-up area in Romania: novelty elements introduced by Law no. 175/2020

Abstract

Law no. 17/2014 on some measures to regulate the sale of agricultural land located outside the built-up area was adopted among other reasons to ensure food security and protect national interests in the exploitation of natural resources. These goals are perfectly justified and foreshadow changes in the global environment that will affect social and economic arrangements in the future with great impact. In this context, the importance of protecting agricultural land as a natural resource of central importance is a legitimate political goal. However, the methods used must be very carefully chosen in order to create a legal regime for the sale of agricultural land that respects, on the one hand, the requirements of European law and, on the other hand, fulfills the national interest as far as possible. The current legal regime, created by amending Law no. 17/2014 by Law no. 175/2020 for the amendment and completion of Law no. 17/2014, in force since 13 October 2020, creates a legal regime that raises more questions than it settles regarding the real challenges outlined above.