Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

In Sweden the real-estate market for agricultural and forest land has been regulated by law since the beginning of the 1900’s. The Land Acquisition Act from 1979 is the now current law. The purposes of the law is to promote occupation and residence in the more sparsely populated areas of Sweden, and to facilitate the work of making bigger and more rational properties. Also it aims to uphold and maintain a balance between private and corporate ownership of agricultural land.

The probation is done by the county board in Sweden. The Swedish National Board of Agriculture will be deciding in the matter if the buyer is a legal person and the purchase price exceeds 10 million SEK.

Private persons need to apply for permission to complete their acquisition of a forest or agricultural property in rural or re-parceling areas. They are however excluded from the obligation of permission if they have been living in the region for more than 12 months. Transferring’s of property within the family is also exempted from the appliance obligation. Legal persons always have to get permission for buying forest and agrarian land.

During the three years of 2014, 2015 and 2016 there were about 6 000 probations considering private persons permissions for land acquisition in the whole country. Out of those 22 were declined permission for their purchase of real estate. This means about 0,4 % of the appliances from private persons were rejected by the land acquisition act within the years 2014-2016.

Considering differences between the numbers of declined permissions over the country, the impact on the agrarian and forestry competitiveness and the small number of dismissed permissions there are reasons to consider a reevaluation of the law. It can be questioned how big impact the law has on the rural development in Sweden.