As part of the Access to Land Network’s ongoing work to document farmland access and land policy across Europe, two new country reports examine how land governance in Poland and Bulgaria has evolved since the post-socialist transition.
The studies were conducted in close cooperation with local experts and academic partners, combining legal, institutional, and socio-economic perspectives to better understand the tensions between market liberalisation, state regulation, and social justice in rural areas.
The new Access to Land Country Report on Poland traces the country’s distinctive path from socialist state farms to today’s mixed system of public stewardship and private ownership.Â
After the rapid reforms of the 1990s, Poland maintained strong state involvement in land governance through institutions such as the Agricultural Property Agency and, later, the National Center for Agricultural Support (KOWR). The report shows how these mechanisms have shaped regional disparities between large-scale farms in the west and family farming in the east, and how recent pre-emption rights and leasing policies aim to balance protection against concentration with access for new entrants.
Drawing on legal analysis and policy data, the study highlights Poland as one of the few EU members to combine market activity with restrictive safeguards, offering valuable lessons for equitable and sustainable land regulation in Europe.
Authors: Julie Litre & Jérémy Vial
Clinique de droit – Justice Environnementale et Transition Écologique, Sciences Po Paris
Under the supervision of Cécile Duchier
Tutors: Ève Aubisse and Manon Bajard
In partnership with the European Network Access to Land (May 2025)