Land Reform Act.

The Land Reform Act determines the bases for restructuring relations regarding land (land reform). Based on the continuity of rights of former owners and the interests of current land users that are protected by law, and to establish preconditions for more effective use of land, the objective of land reform is to transform relations based on state ownership of land into relations primarily based on private ownership of land. This Law is divided into 7 Parts as follows: General provisions (I); Return of and compensation for land (II); Privatization of land (III); Municipal land (IV); State land (V); Right of use of land by contract and building lease (VII); Guarantee of land reform (VIII) (VI repealed).The general aim of this Act is to reform the land tenure regime in Estonia with a view to ensuring the continuity of rights of former owners and the interests of current land users that are protected by law, and to establish preconditions for more effective use of land. State ownership shall be primarily transformed into private ownership (art. 2). Unlawfully confiscated land shall be returned or compensated to natural persons of Estonian nationality, their successors, organizations, or to assignees of ownership rights. Land within cities is not returned if it belongs to a building or structure of another person as a lot (art. 7). Compensation for land is determined according to the Land Valuation Act 1994. Land which is not returned or retained by the State is subject to privatization (art. 20), which shall be supervised by county governors, in accordance with general planning and land use planning requirements (art. 23). Land to be retained for municipal or State ownership is defined in Parts IV and V respectively. Agricultural land or buildings which are not privatized may be granted through commercial lease or usufruct to the current user (art. 34).

Implemented by: Act on Acquisition of Land Subject to Usufruct in Land Reform (2009) (2018-07-01)