Profiling Land Use Planning: Legislative Structures in Five European Nations

Dimitrios Koumoulidis (), Ioannis Varvaris, Diofantos Hadjimitsis, Marzia Gabriele, Raffaella Brumana, Ioannis Gitas, Nikos Georgopoulos, Azadeh Abdollahnejad, Eleni Gkounti, Dimitris Stavrakoudis, Donatella Caniani, Andriy Dorosh, Roman Derkulskyi, Oksana Sakal, Shamil Ibatullin, Yevhenii Khan, Oleksandr Melnyk, Anne Fromage Mariette, Marc Tondriaux, Andrzej Perkowski, Adam Sieczka, Mariusz Maciejczak, Chryssa Kopra, Georgia Kostaki and Paraskevi Chantzi
Additional contact information
Dimitrios Koumoulidis: Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence, 3012 Limassol, Cyprus
Ioannis Varvaris: Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence, 3012 Limassol, Cyprus
Diofantos Hadjimitsis: Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence, 3012 Limassol, Cyprus
Marzia Gabriele: Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
Raffaella Brumana: Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
Ioannis Gitas: Laboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
Nikos Georgopoulos: Laboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
Azadeh Abdollahnejad: Laboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
Eleni Gkounti: Laboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
Dimitris Stavrakoudis: Laboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
Donatella Caniani: Department of Engineering, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Andriy Dorosh: Land Management Institute of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03022 Kyiv, Ukraine
Roman Derkulskyi: Land Management Institute of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03022 Kyiv, Ukraine
Oksana Sakal: Land Management Institute of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03022 Kyiv, Ukraine
Shamil Ibatullin: Land Management Institute of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, 03022 Kyiv, Ukraine
Yevhenii Khan: National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine
Oleksandr Melnyk: National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine
Anne Fromage Mariette: OPenIG (Occitanie Pyrénées en Intelligence Géomatique), 34090 Montpellier, France
Marc Tondriaux: TerraNIS (Earth Observation for Sustainability), 31520 Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
Andrzej Perkowski: Marshal Office of Mazowieckie Voivodeship (Mazovia), 03-719 Warszawa, Poland
Adam Sieczka: Marshal Office of Mazowieckie Voivodeship (Mazovia), 03-719 Warszawa, Poland
Mariusz Maciejczak: Institute of Economics and Finance, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warszawa, Poland
Chryssa Kopra: Interbalkan Environment Center (i-BEC), 546 26 Thessaloniki, Greece
Georgia Kostaki: Interbalkan Environment Center (i-BEC), 546 26 Thessaloniki, Greece
Paraskevi Chantzi: Interbalkan Environment Center (i-BEC), 546 26 Thessaloniki, Greece

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-21

Abstract: Land use transformation, the longest-standing human-driven environmental alteration, is a pressing and complex issue that significantly impacts European landscapes and contributes to global environmental change. The urgency to act is reinforced by the European Environment Agency (EEA), which identifies industrial, commercial, and residential development—particularly near major urban centers—as key contributors to land take. As the EU sets a vision for achieving zero net land take by 2050, assessing the readiness and coherence of national legislation becomes critical. This comprehensive study employs a comparative legal analysis across five European countries—Italy, Greece, Poland, France, and Ukraine—examining their laws, strategies, and commitments related to land degradation neutrality. Using a review of national legislation and policy documents, the research identifies systemic patterns, barriers, and opportunities within current legal frameworks. The present study aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, planners, and academic institutions, fostering a comprehensive understanding of existing gaps, implementation, and inconsistencies in national land use legislation. Among the results, it has become evident that a typical “pathway” between the examined states in terms of the legislative framework on land use–land take is probably a utopia for the time being. The legislations in force, in several cases, are labyrinthine and multifaceted, highlighting the urgent and immediate need for simplification and standardization. The need for this action is further underscored by the fact that, in most cases, land use frameworks are characterized by complementary legislation and ongoing amendments. Ultimately, the research underscores the critical need for harmonized governance and transparent, enforceable policies, particularly in regions where deregulated land use planning persists. The diversity in legislative layers and the decentralized role of the authorities further compounds the complexity, reinforcing the importance of cross-country dialogue and EU-wide coordination in advancing sustainable land use development.

Keywords: land use; land degradation neutrality; urbanization; Soil Strategy 2030; land use land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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