This Act sets out how state-owned land in the Faroe Islands (“landsjørð”) is to be administered, leased, and used. All such land is managed by the Agricultural Agency (Búnaðarstovan), which can lease parcels to eligible tenants (festarar) under specific conditions, including residency requirements, proper land management, and compliance with agricultural and animal-welfare standards. The law governs the transfer and mortgaging of lease rights, allows consolidation or division of leased land in limited circumstances, and gives Búnaðarstovan powers to intervene if land is mismanaged, including terminating leases. It also regulates rights to build, lease parts of the land for limited purposes (e.g., gardens, fodder production, hunting), and allows farm operations to be placed in certain corporate forms owned and run by the tenant. The Act further regulates when and how state land may be sold or leased for non-agricultural or public purposes, such as housing, infrastructure, business or community use, with safeguards to protect valuable agricultural land and require justification for land-use changes. It sets rules on pricing, compensation for loss of grazing or land use, valuation of buildings and land, and financial arrangements when land is exchanged or repurposed. Búnaðarstovan must involve relevant funds or authorities in certain transactions, and tenants may have rights to compensation or to receive substitute land. Decisions made under the Act can be appealed to the minister, who may delegate appeal powers to a separate board.
Faroe Islands (Denmark) · 2007-05-15