Ukrainian President Poroshenko extends moratorium on agricultural land sale
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed the law (bill No. 9355-5) that provides for the extension of a moratorium on the sale of agricultural land until January 1, 2020, as reported on the Verkhovna Rada's website ,
The moratorium was first introduced in 2001. Since 2002, the moratorium has been acting as a temporary measure to ensure the regulatory settlement of land relations and the creation of land market infrastructure. The Verkhovna Rada has repeatedly extended the moratorium.
On December 20, 2018, the Verkhovna Rada voted for the extension of the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land for one more year, until January 1, 2020.
The next day, deputies Viktor Pynzenyk and Oleksiy Mushak registered resolutions on the annulment of the decision of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, thus blocking the extension of the moratorium for 17 days. The parliament rejected these bills in January.
In February 2017, 55 deputies made an appeal to the Constitutional Court on the abolition of the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land. In February 2018, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine refused to open a constitutional proceeding to lift the moratorium.
In late May, the European Convention on Human Rights decided that the permanent extension of the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land in Ukraine violates human rights.