Sejm begins working on state land sale bill

The Council of Ministers has commenced work on a bill regarding the sale of state-owned land, ISBNews reports. The bill will freeze the sales of many agricultural properties owned by the State Treasury for the next five years and implement some changes to laws proposed by the Minister of Agriculture. The new regulations are meant to come into effect on April 30, 2016. A dispatch released by the government notes that one of the main reasons for the new bill is the expiration of a 12-year protection period on May 1 for the sale of agricultural land to foreigners. "There is [thus] a high probability that interest from EU consumers may rise significantly," it reads. According to the new law, the majority of state-owned land will remain under the ownership of the Agency of Agricultural Properties, and will mostly be leased long-term to interested clients, which will allow the state to retain ultimate control over them.