The present Progress Report 2 presents the
progress of the Agricultural Land Utilisation Project (ALUP), EuropeAid/120769/D/SER/KOS, funded by
the EU through its European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR), implemented by the
the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (MAFRD) and assisted by the consultants
consortium comprising GFA and BVVG of Germany) and DFFE of Denmark.
The general goal of ALUP is to increase productivity and utilisation of
agricultural land. The project aims to achieve
this by defining 5 project components (“results”), which respectively relate to
(i) legal and regulatory framework, (ii) land consolidation, (iii) spatial
planning and environment, (iv) access to land through improvement of the
functioning of the land market, and (v) improved coordination mechanisms. In addition, the project is engaged in the
assistance to the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA/UNMIK) in land privatisation issues.
Three pilot areas have been be established as a part of three of these project results.
During the reporting period, the activities in each project Result have
taken up momentum. Particular progress has been made in the legal and land
consolidation components, and in the assistance to KTA/UNMIK. In addition, much
attention has been spent on identify possible assistance of ALUP to the
northern municipalities. But also the other components have seen satisfying
progress
In general one can say that the Result 1 (Legal Framework) is
solidly on its way. Progress is good and the assistance of ALUP to the MAFRD is
appreciated. Activities comprised the review of existing legislation, the
drafting Administrative Instructions (A.I.) for the Law on Agricultural Lands
(LoAL) and the preparation of a comprehensive training programme on drafting of
legislation and on the implementation of the LoAL. Target groups are
ministerial and municipal officials. Particular attention was paid to
ethnically mixed municipalities: in Gjilan/Gnjilane and Lipjan/Lipljan meetings
were held on inter ethnic issues in the legal framework.
During the
next period the Administrative Instructions to the LoAL will be completed, the
municipal training-workshop programme on implementation of the LoAL will be
launched and trainings for officials of the MAFRD and the Ministry of
Environment and Spatial Planning (MESP) will be held.
Also in Result
2 (land consolidation)
progress is good. Interest of farmers is higher than expected and additional
schemes are already considered. In the Shisman pilot project the decisive phase
has now been arrived at and negotiations on an allocation plan and the
commitment of farmers to such a plan have started. The issue how to cover the
transaction costs for the 1st pilot project has been resolved and
agreement between MAFRD and ALUP exists how to approach this problem in the
next land consolidation projects. The
financing and sustainability of a broader land consolidation approach in Kosovo
is increasingly felt as an issue and are currently addressed in ALUP.
The critical assumption for sustainability of developing framework and
technique for land consolidation is that financing instruments are identified
that can sustain a larger scale implementation of land consolidation in the
period 2007-13. This issue will have high priority in next reporting period.
Improved insight into the required capacities for land consolidation was
gained. “To do” land consolidation requires a learning process closely linked
to implementation. The immediate constraint to capacity building is both that
there are neither local institutions
able to assume responsibility for land consolidation nor are there
ongoing projects in which project staff can be offered in-service training. The
overall experience is that knowledge transfer in land consolidation at present
is blocked by a current tendency of project design that does not include
investments / implementation components.
During the
next period, negotiations in the pilot project in Shisman, Gjakovë/Đakovica
should lead to formal agreements and the Land Consolidation Commission should
start its activities. Linkages with the Agriculture and Rural Development Plan
(ARDP) 2007-13 will be followed up and ALUP will seek to clarify sources of
financing for land consolidation.
The
feasibility of the envisaged 2nd land consolidation in Klinë/Klina,
involving absentee Serbian Kosovar land owners – will be investigated.
Result 3 (spatial
planning) has
been under pressure since unexpectedly the project’s spatial planning capacity
was almost fully occupied with Result 4.2. Still, data collection has
progressed well and currently the GIS data base, needed for the Rural Land
Management Plan and the Environmental Action Plan are being set up. MAFRD
applied formally to the Ministry of Public Services to make available free of
charge or at reduced rate aerial photography of the pilot area, i.e. the
municipality of Klinë/Klina.
A reduction in price of 50 % was granted, which was appreciated. However, these reduced prices are still excessive as compared to other countries (€ 6-10 /km2). In order to make this essential information sources widely available through practical application for the good of Kosovo, at the same time acknowledging that the aerial photography must well contribute to the upkeep of KCA and enable for new photo’s to be produced at regular intervals, the consultants hold the opinion that the prices should come down to more or less normal international levels. ALUP has decided to resort to the use of satellite imagery and reduce the use of aerial photography. Giver the technical requirements this is well possible.
The soil survey and land suitability mapping will be completed on short notice. An environmental inventory will be done and the GIS data base will be completed. Basic maps will be produced, and the contents of the Rural Land Management will be worked out in more detail.
Result 4.1 (land
market) has seen
the first activities on land valuation.. The international expert set valuation of
agricultural land in context of land management in Kosovo and to international
practice of land valuation. The current legal and institutional framework for
land valuation was reviewed. Key issues and problems were identified, including
the principles of valuation, data quality, linkages between spatial planning,
land zoning and land valuation, enforcement and dispute resolution, need for
agricultural experts with specialisation in land valuation.
Findings and recommendations include: i) the subject of agricultural land valuation
has to be set up from the ground; in fact no public data are available and ii)
there is a need for a manual on valuation on agricultural land and
related instructions iii) the issue must be approached in close cooperation with the Ministry of
Economy and Finance (MEF)
Next quarter
will bring the development of main methodological steps valuation steps and the
preparation of draft guidelines for valuation. Further, the cooperation with
the MEF will be worked out.
Result 4.2
(Dragash/Dragaš, dismantling of the SOE Sharr Prodhimi) has seen a concentration of
activities due to a sudden deadline on
October 22 for the preparation of a preliminary land zoning map and the
corresponding thematic maps.
Due to new developments in the privatisation process of the Socially Owned Enterprise (SOE) “Sharr Prodhimi”, the programme for Result 4.2 had to be modified. Originally it was planned to elaborate a structured global rural land development plan for the municipality of Dragash, from which proposals how to deal with the question of privatisation of “Sharr Prodhimi” would be derived. The reason for the modification was the decision by KTA to offer the assets of the SOE on a Property Fair in München at the end of October to potential investors. Therefore, on the request of KTA, ALUP prepared a land zoning map of the municipality for this occasion, displaying the possible uses and restrictions of such lands and the degree of required protection of the various zones
ALUP takes the position that the assets of Sharr Prodimi can be sold, with the exception of the almost 21.000 ha of high pasture lands and 800 ha of forest lands, which should be kept under public control and can only be sold only in agreement with a municipal rural development plan and under conditions. A quick sale of the assets will be a risk for the widely accepted aim to protect the valuable natural resources and the rights of use of the local population The understanding is that KTA has the same position, on condition that a suitable institutional arrangements could be achieved. This would mean that proper transfer and clear ownership of these lands, and adequate management are ensured.
As a result of these developments, ALUP has made much more progress than envisaged at the start of the reporting period. Data collection has been done, a GIS data base set up and a land zoning plan with thematic maps have been prepared. However, the pressing dead line has left indispensable activities undone yet (consensus building among stakeholders, analysis of institutional set up, legal framework and property right).
This has resulted in a major progress in the result 4.2 (much more than envisaged), but leaving gaps as compared to the initial programme on the other hand.
However, the above position could not be guaranteed by KTA, as final decisions by UNMIK on this subject could be different. Nevertheless, ALUP consented to assist KTA, since it is anticipated that its land zoning maps will be used to ensure a basic nature and environmental protection for the area.
During the next months, the “gaps” referred to above will be filled. This means a focus on consultations, consensus building and analysis of institutional set-up, legal framework and property positions.
Finally, Result
5 (increased inter-governmental cooperation and communication) is still
waiting for the first meetings of the two most important inter-ministerial
committees. These are expected during the next quarter.
Significant
progress was made in taking on work in one of the northern municipalities,
and it is expected that a programme will be done jointly with the municipality
of Zveçan/Zvečan on rural development, focused on village revival in hilly
areas. ALUP’s assistance would comprise the formulation of a
basic rural development plan, the methodology based on experience already
developed in other areas. The result would be a concrete proposal for a village
revival programme, including the rehabilitation of rural access roads. The
output will be a report with maps on i) current conditions (topography, land
use, infrastructure) ii) required interventions iii) the social and economic
feasibility of the village revival programme iv) global cost estimates. This
report must be suitable to attract the interest of potential investors.
In order to be able to implement this programme
in the North, working days have to be made available and the number of days
available for other project components have to be reduced. This will affect
these other components, but not dramatically so. In total, 175 working days of
local (Serbian Kosovar) expertise will be needed, and 21 working days of
international expertise. The programme will be directed by the consultants team
leader.
During the next months further discussions with the municipality and
other stakeholders are envisaged, a programme proposal will be prepared and
local staff will be recruited.
The study tour on land consolidation (24-10 // 01-11-06) was
prepared. This required a lot of input, mainly of the Key expert 2, but also of
the team leader and the office staff.
The relations with the MAFRD are
excellent. In addition, the cooperation with the Institute of Spatial Planning
ISP (Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, MESP), with which ALUP works
closely together, has been most satisfactory for both parties. Working
relations with relevant agencies and municipalities are effective and agreeable
as well.
Cooperation with other projects- either EAR or
non-EAR – has been pursued, in particular with the Agricultural Master Plan
Project (AMPK), which is in a final stage of preparation of its Agricultural
and Rural Development Plan 2007-13. ALUP mainly contributes to ARDP Measure 2
(Restructuring Physical Potential in the Agri-Rural Sector), but also to
Measure 5 (Improving Natural Resource Management) and to some extend to other
Measures.