Law of Georgia on Determination of the Designated Purpose of Land and on Sustainable Management of Agricultural Land (No. 4849-IIS of 2019) Country/Territory Georgia Document type Legislation Date 2019 Source FAO, FAOLEX Original source 370020000.05.001.019528 Subject Land & soil, Water Keyword Land-use planning Agricultural land Agricultural development Classification/declassification Sustainable development Sustainable use Institution Land commission Governance Procedural matters Land consolidation Land reform Land tenure Monitoring Cadastre/land registration Pastoralism Desertification Soil conservation/soil improvement Soil pollution/quality Soil rehabilitation Hazards Erosion Private land Public land Survey/mapping Zoning Liability/compensation Local government Ownership Property rights Range Registration Resource/damage valuation Right of use Transfer Use restrictions Business/industry/corporations Concession Contract/agreement Farming Lease Geographical area Asia, Black Sea, Eastern Europe, Europe, Europe and Central Asia, Western Asia Abstract This Law regulates issues related to the designated purpose of land, determines the categories of agricultural land and the procedure for changing such categories, as well as the principles of sustainable management of agricultural land, and the status and the legal grounds for the activities of the Legal Entity under Public Law called the National Agency for Sustainable Land Management and Land Use Monitoring operating under the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia. The purpose of this Law is to ensure the rational use and protection of land, to facilitate the development of the land market, and to create legal grounds for drawing up a balance sheet for land and for registration, intended use and state monitoring of agricultural land resources. Among others, the Law defines pasture and hayfield and establishes them as categories of a plot of agricultural land. It also provides that the land fund of Georgia includes the agricultural lands and non-agricultural lands in the territory of Georgia, including lands covered with forests and bodies of water. The functions of the National Agency for Sustainable Land Management and Land Use Monitoring include, among others, to participate in the planning of activities in the fight against desertification and land degradation, and in the restoration of soil fertility; to participate in the planning and carrying out of activities related to the management of windbreak belts (shelter belts); to receive and review applications regarding investment plans related to privately owned plots of agricultural land; and to prepare thematic maps related to land use. The Law also provides that the damage caused by degrading the quality of land as a result of the misuse of agricultural land shall be subject to compensation, which is calculated in accordance with the methodology approved by the Government of Georgia, taking into consideration the amount of compensation determined for the municipalities and territories of special regulation of Georgia. Additionally, it states that if there is a reasoned necessity, based on state policy on the sustainable management of agricultural land and state policy on the protection and rational use of land resources, the State shall have a pre-emptive right to the acquisition of a plot of agricultural land and the buildings and structures firmly attached thereto in the case of the alienation of the plot of land by its owner. The Law also provides for pre-emptive right of a co-owner/lessee to the acquisition of a plot of agricultural land; making decisions based on an investment plan; and failure to fulfil the obligations provided for by an investment plan. Full text English/Georgian Website matsne.gov.ge References - Legislation Implemented by Resolution No. 166 of 2021 of Georgian Government on Rules for Compiling Land Balance and Inventorying Agricultural Land Resources Legislation | Georgia | 2021 Keyword: Access-to-information, Agricultural land, Data collection/reporting, Cadastre/land registration, Land-use planning, Survey/mapping Source: FAO, FAOLEX Order No 2-1258 of 2019 of Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia on the Statute of the Legal Entity under Public Law called the National Agency for Sustainable Land Management and Land Use Monitoring Legislation | Georgia | 2019 Keyword: Land commission, Sustainable development, Land-use planning, Monitoring, Institution, Procedural matters, Survey/mapping, Data collection/reporting, Access-to-information, Agricultural land, Public land, Private land, Policy/planning, Desertification, Soil conservation/soil improvement, Soil pollution/quality, Soil rehabilitation, Zoning, Hazards Source: FAO, FAOLEX