Precedents of legislation on agricultural land in the modern world

Abstract

Almost all countries in the world are particularly attentive to the issue of selling agricultural land to foreigners, and this area is characterized by the strictest regulation. At the same time, in none of the modern countries is land ownership an absolute right (the right to use and abuse), but is regulated by various regulations. The earth is irreplaceable, irreproducible and “exhaustible” (limited) (WerfGEG21, 73). resource. Its price is a particularly pressing issue in the modern world. As population grows and demand for agricultural products increases, uncultivated agricultural land is reduced and hence resources are also depleted. Therefore, the alienation of an indefinite amount of land to foreigners is incompatible with the vital tasks of the country and public interests. The alienation of agricultural land should always be a state-controlled process. Because land is not only an economic, but also a social and cultural asset (decision of the Austrian Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of the law on the acquisition of real estate by a foreigner, Landesgegesetzblatt Nr. 88/1994).