Bulgaria faced and still is facing many challenges in the accession process to the EU. Free movement of capital, and especially the development of the land market, is one of them. Although a progress has been made, land prices are still below the EU average prices. There are different reasons for this as, for example, very fragmented land after the restitution process, chaotic transactions, lack of bank credits for agricultural purposes, unrealistic expectations after the accession to the EU and others.

This paper analyses the enforcement of the 2003 CAP reform in 5 countries of the West European Union: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom. The reform gives multiple possibilities of adaptation at a national or regional level.

This paper deals with agricultural land in Bulgaria and some problems which could impede the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy and the assimilation of financial resources from the EU Structural Funds.

As long as the land market in Slovakia is not completely developed and land market prices introduced, the officially assigned land prices are practically in use. At the present time, land prices should express the supply prices, which cover the income effect of the land site under the socially necessary costs. Thus, centrally assigned fixed land prices could represent the effective prices in this transient period. Official prices are actually also used for fiscal purposes and to solve land property rights.

The aim of this study was to analyse the Hungarian land market and the changes that have occurred since the EU accession as well as to present the tendencies of the development. The demand in Hungary is primarily for outstanding and good quality land of favourable location in certain regions or large plots of arable and forest land. Scattered, wedged properties of small size or of unclear ownership (undivided common land) are difficult to sell.

The agricultural land market in Slovakia has noted an increased dynamics recently. This situation is the result of entering big foreign investors, particularly car factories which bought agricultural land for construction purposes. It resulted in the raised prices of plots. Agricultural land prices sold for further agricultural use are markedly lower from those in the EU-15. Such prices are the third lowest ones within the new EU member countries.

This paper deals with agricultural land in Bulgaria and some problems which could impede the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy and the assimilation of financial resources from the EU Structural Funds.

As long as the land market in Slovakia is not completely developed and land market prices introduced, the officially assigned land prices are practically in use. At the present time, land prices should express the supply prices, which cover the income effect of the land site under the socially necessary costs. Thus, centrally assigned fixed land prices could represent the effective prices in this transient period. Official prices are actually also used for fiscal purposes and to solve land property rights.

This paper analyses the enforcement of the 2003 CAP reform in 5 countries of the West European Union: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom. The reform gives multiple possibilities of adaptation at a national or regional level.

The agricultural land market in Slovakia has noted an increased dynamics recently. This situation is the result of entering big foreign investors, particularly car factories which bought agricultural land for construction purposes. It resulted in the raised prices of plots. Agricultural land prices sold for further agricultural use are markedly lower from those in the EU-15. Such prices are the third lowest ones within the new EU member countries.

Land use developments are to a large extent determined by the functioning of the land market. Therefore the land market influences the living environment, nature and landscape. The price difference between urban and rural land is very high in Holland, which causes considerable pressure on the land use planning process. Land price increases hamper the realisation of nature and recreation plans, especially around urban areas.

This paper makes proposals for EU-AU cooperation in support of agricultural development in Africa, focusing on initiatives at regional and continental levels. Cooperation at these levels is meant to both complement and stimulate agricultural development at the national level, the level where most investments take place and where the most intense cooperation will remain relevant.