Land consolidation in Lithuania: aspiration and actuality

Abstract

From Rural Development Policy for the period of 2007–2013 it is noticeable that land consolidation in European Union is seen as a very important instrument for sustainable rural areas development. Especially big expectations were felt from the post Soviet countries as after the Land Reform rural areas were near to the vanishing point. With the EU funding support it is expected to increase the competitiveness of the rural areas creating attractive living and working environment by introducing a complex problem solving for land owners involving land fragmentation, reduction of irrational local road network, lack of infrastructural facilities, and etc. However, today one more problem has appeared – current financial crisis with noticeable emigration of young generation that caused the fallow of many land parcels in rural areas of the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC). This paper, based on quantitative and qualitative surveys done with related key groups in Lithuania, reveals main problems and offers possible solutions which should reflect in legislation to avoid future degradation of rural area