Measures to Protect Property Market Along Border

18. 04. 2011

Measures to Protect Property Market Along Border


The government wants to set up a regional park, while Farmland and Forest Fund is to get the priority right to buy farmland and forests in a wider belt along the entire national border line than now.

The cabinet tasked the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry to prepare a proposal to set up a regional park within three months.

 

 

The Farmland and Forest Fund is to be acquiring property in a belt along the border, which is to be extended from 1.5 kilometres to 10 kilometres throughout the country. The government said it would provide any additional funds if needed. Moreover, the cabinet is set to change the spatial planning act so as to transfer zoning planning from the municipal to the regional level.

 

The Finance Ministry is to change the property mass-appraisal act in order for registers to include all property deals, including real-estate bought by foreigners.

The Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry is to introduce an inspection over issuing of construction permits at the Sezana municipality between 2005 and 2009.

The Environment Ministry will report to the government every six months on real-estate deals and the pricing of property along the border.

 

The measures were adopted after the cabinet discussed today a 90-page report from an inter-departmental group that was tasked with drafting measures to protect property in Kras, said Zalar.

He told the press that the report showed that the area could occasionally face serious risks and could be more vulnerable than any other parts of the country.

 

"It is essential that the effects of the measures are not discriminatory, meaning that they are in accord both with the national and EU legislation," said the justice minister. The decision comes after two local civil initiatives from the region asked the government in January to protect the land from being acquired by Italian citizens.

 

 

The civil initiatives have been warning the public that prices of land had increased as much as seven-fold due to high demand by predominantly Italian buyers, leaving the locals unable to afford the land.

The initiatives also warned of what they call a silent Italian assimilation and urged the government to request a general safeguard clause with the European Commission.

 

Robert Rogic of the Kras Civil Initiative responded to the government's decision with mixed feelings, saying that the initiatives forced the government into action, however, the members of the initiatives expect real results.

Bozo Novak of the Primorsko Civil Initiative was satisfied with the decision, however, he said that the measures needed to get implemented before they could be entirely happy.

 

SOURCE: The Slovenia Times

 

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