Legal Complexities of Agricultural Land Restitution in Romania (1990-2024)

Emőd Veress; Kinga Ilyés

doi:10.21029/JAEL.2024.37.325

Emőd Veress Professor of Civil and Comparative Law, Faculty of Law, University of Miskolc, Hungary and at the Department of Law, Sapientia University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Kinga Ilyés PhD. student, Deák Ferenc Doctoral School, Faculty of Law, University of Miskolc, Hungary; Junior Researcher, Central-European Academy; Junior Lecturer, Department of Law, Sapientia University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21029/JAEL.2024.37.325

Keywords: collectivization, agricultural land restitution, property rights, transitional justice, post-communism

Abstract

The legal and socio-political complexities of agricultural land restitution in Romania reveal a process shaped by conflicting objectives and administrative hurdles. Initiated after the fall of the Soviet-type dictatorship, restitution aimed to address the injustices of collectivization and nationalization under the former regime. Post-World War II agrarian reforms and especially forced collectivization (1949–1962) dismantled private property rights in favour of collective and state ownership. Restitution policies introduced post-1989, starting with Act No. 18/1991 and evolving through subsequent amendments, attempted to reverse these changes. However, the need to balance transitional justice with socio-political stability led to a protracted and inconsistent process. Key issues include legal hurdles in verifying ownership, practical difficulties in returning land, and the influence of political and economic factors on outcomes. Despite substantial progress in returning property to original owners or their heirs, inefficiency and legal ambiguity have left many claims unresolved, undermining public trust in the restoration of property rights.

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