Law No. XIII-801 “On purchase of agricultural land”.

The scope of this Law shall be to prevent speculation in agricultural land and preserve traditional forms of farming; to create conditions for the formation of rational land holdings and land consolidation; and to promote the rational use of agricultural land. It shall not be applicable to agricultural land of subsistence farming, land used for horticulture and gardening, and inherited land and land owned by the way of restoration of legal rights of ownership. Persons who have acquired agricultural land pursuant to this Act, must for a period of at least 5 years after the acquisition of this land ensure its use for agricultural activity, whose minimum annual production output per hectare of land is determined by the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania. The main purpose of land use of agricultural land purchased from the state pursuant to this law may be changed not earlier than 5 years after the date of acquisition of the agricultural parcel. Total land area of agricultural land purchased from the state by a single legal or natural person shall not exceed 500 hectares. This Law consists of 8 Articles. Article 1 establishes the scope of the Law. Article 2 specifies obligation on purchased agricultural land. Article 3 establishes maximum agricultural land area that can be purchased in ownership. Article 4 regards acquisition of public agricultural land. Article 5 establishes preferential right of purchase of private agricultural land. Article 6 establishes liability of legal persons for non-performance of agricultural activities on agricultural land. Article 7 regards offences and penalties. Article 8 establishes the modalities of entry into force of this Law. The requirements established by this Law also apply when concluding a transfer transaction of a legal entity owning more than 10 ha of agricultural land in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania, as well as the shares (rights) of a legal entity owning more than 10 ha of agricultural land in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania , shares transfer transaction, upon conclusion of which the acquirer of shares (rights, shares) becomes the owner of more than 25 percent of the shares (rights, shares) of this legal entity. The acquirer of a legal entity that owns more than 10 ha of agricultural land in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania or more than 25 percent of the shares (rights, shares) of such a legal entity shall be subject to the same requirements established by this and other laws (including the notarization of the transaction concluded by this acquirer forms) as for the buyer of agricultural land.