Starting from the year 2010, each year one European city is selected as the European Green Capital of the year. The award is granted to a city that has a consistent record of achieving high environmental standards, and is committed to ongoing and ambitious goals for further environmental improvement and sustainable development, as well as can act as a role model to inspire other cities and promote best practices to other European cities.

The global economic growth results in the increase of intensity of land use, which is one of the main natural resources. The degradation processes of land and soil occur as a result of economic activities and natural conditions creating degraded territories. Restoration of degraded territories and degradation risk prevention is an important task of each local government for sustainable development of a territory. It is determined by international and national legislation.

The aim of this paper is to research the process of compulsory acquisition of land and its fixtures in the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline project in Albania from the perspective of the affected persons. The legislation of Albania as well as international principles concerning compulsory acquisition of property was analysed. Examined also was the process of how legal and institutional framework is applied in determining adequate compensation to landowners who are mostly small rural farmers.

Utilised agricultural area is one of the most important natural resources in Latvia, which provides population with food and promotes the operation of agricultural companies. Unfortunately, appropriate land management is a problem for the majority of agricultural land owners, thereby adversely affecting the efficiency of resource use and increasing possibilities for the resource depletion. Constantly new solutions are searched for in Latvia to avert inefficient use of utilised agricultural areas and reduction of land as resource.

In the recent years the issue of optimal size of the utilised agricultural area and its accessibility in particular regions has gained increased importance. Total area, types and conditions of the utilised agricultural area are essential to shaping and implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy. This research comprises investigation of the single area payment and the area payments done in scope of the Rural Development Programme for the time frame of 2007 – 2011.

Ministry of the Environment is coordinating matters related to the unitéd Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change. National reporting of greenhouse gas inventories for land-use change and forestry category utilises forest inventory results with appropriate studies on biomass allocation and wood properties as well as national wood consumption statistics allowing to use country-specific values instead of overall default values provided in the Intergovernemental Panel on Climatic Change guidelines.

The conference is aimed at dissemination of scientific research results, sharing of experience, improvement of foreign language and cross - cultural communication skills, and establishing of international contacts.

Monitoring land-based investments in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): review of existing initiatives and options on way forward for developing a monitoring system

Research on the sustainable use of the soil as the main agricultural resource employing different field crop rotations and tillage systems was started in 2009. The influence of new technologies on sustainable output of agricultural raw materials used for safe and good quality food and feed production was studied at the Latvia University of Agriculture, Study and Research Farm “Peterlauki” where long-term field experimental plots were established specially for this purpose. Complex investigation of the soils at the experimental plots was performed.

The topic about shared real estate and ownership of landed property has become important only in the latest years. In connection with the rise of estate tax, the land’s cadastre value and the lease of land, the contradictions have also become more aggravated in shared real estate’s situations, which had occurred at some point when land reforms and privatization took place.

Business activities conducted in rural areas are associated with crop cultivation, animal rearing and agricultural produce processing. The countryside residents, after hard work, should be offered a chance of having pleasant leisure time activities. In general, the ambient conditions in rural areas provide many opportunities, but the surroundings should be adapted as to allow the pursuit of various forms of recreation.