At the beginning of October 2017, a new ministerial decree entered into force on the classification of arable lands.

The aim of the land classification is to determine the agricultural sector and the quality of the land. The quality of the land shall be determined by classification on the basis of the quality grade of the land (in Hungarian "minőségi osztály") and the cadastral net profitability (in Hungarian "kataszteri tiszta jövedelem").

The decree determines the process of the soil examination and the calculation of the cadastral net profitability. In addition, the decree contains special rules for the classification of forest, woodland and reeds and details the rules of the district and municipal pilot areas (in Hungarian "járási és községi mintatér"), the data of which shall be recorded in the pilot area register (in Hungarian "mintatérjegyzék"). The new decree clarifies whether the land classification is necessary in case there is any change in the borderlines of the plots or the administrative borderlines of the municipality. Furthermore, the decree determines the qualification allowing to exercise land classification activity and the process of requesting a land classification card.

Under the new rules, the result of the land classification and the borderlines of the grades of the land shall be included in the map database and the land registry shall also be amended on the basis of the result of the land classification.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.