Karol Aquilina abstains from parliament discussion and vote on agricultural leases

Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina will not participate in the parliamentary discussions and subsequent vote on amendments to the Agricultural Leases Act.

Aquilina did not specify why he will be abstaining from the discussion and vote, but cited a “potential personal interest” in the Act.

Two legal amendments targeting agricultural leases were tabled in parliament this month as a stop-gap measure to address issues raised by the Constitutional Court.

The amendments will give landowners the right to lay down conditions on agricultural leases.

Government had also published a White Paper for a wide-ranging reform of the law regulating agricultural leases to bring it in line with recent court decisions.

The amendments serve as a temporary solution until the reform is implemented.

Under the proposals, government will set up an authority to safeguard private agricultural land within established rural zones, and operate a ‘cadaster’ register for administration of such land.

The same authority will have a board composed of several experts in different sectors, representatives of competent authorities and other interested stakeholders.

The reform will create green zones which can be excluded entirely from potential speculative development.

The White Paper also proposes tax measures to incentivise agricultural land acquisition, by exempting farmers leasing agricultural land from inheritance tax; fiscal incentives for landowners who lease their rural lands to farmers; and taxing agricultural land that is not used for agricultural purposes.