Land relationships in Bulgaria

Agriculture is a traditional branch for the Republic of Bulgaria. The favourable agriclimatic and soil conditions further the growth of 145 agricultural crops and the production of various products, many of which have leading positions in the international market. The aim of this paper is to examine the nature and specific features of the reform of the land relationships in the Republic of Bulgaria during the period of transition towards market economy. The development of land relationships in this country reflects the economic interests of its society, which show their specific nature in the relationships between the owners and the leaseholders of the plots. It is typical for this country that during the collectivisation period, which took place in the middle of the last century, the land, being the basic production factor in the agricultural branch, was public property, the private character of which was never abolished. During the transition period, a process for restoring the land 'within its real borders' was started. This led to delay in the reform and a significant fragmentation of the land. The completed agricultural reform contributes to the recovery and precipitation in the process of developing of the land relationships in the country. A sign of this is the formation of land market. In the year 2001, 28 878.1 ha changed their owners, and another 280 000 ha were leased. The aim is, through active laws, to achieve synchrony of the social interests with the interests of the owners and leaseholders and to create conditions for optimisation of the production process in agriculture. A favourable economic environment will contribute to increasing the efficiency of the agricultural branch in the Republic of Bulgaria and to the formation of the land relationships, which will facilitate the process.