The project supports the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy to further enhance the national land consolidation policy, including strategic, legal and institutional frameworks. These enhancements draw from the results achieved under the MAINLAND project’s previous strategic period.

This involves improving the national legal framework for land consolidation, developing a new National Land Consolidation Strategy for the period 2024-2034 and Action Plan, and establishing a Permanent Advisory Group. This group integrates key institutions to ensure a sustainable execution of the land consolidation policy at the national level.  

Key areas for action include:

• Expanding objectives of land consolidation: Broaden the scope of land consolidation to encompass a wider range of purposes, moving beyond single-purpose land consolidation. A discussion paper on the potential for multi-purpose land consolidation in North Macedonia was prepared in 2023.  The paper explores options and provides policy recommendations to expand the traditional focus of land consolidation, originally centered on agricultural development, to include objectives such as nature restoration, improved environment, climate change adaptation and mitigation, or construction of large-scale infrastructure.
• Simplifying procedures: By streamlining land consolidation administrative and operational processes, it will become easier and more efficient for stakeholders to participate in and benefit from land consolidation initiatives.
• Integrating land management: Establish an integrated land management policy by effectively connecting different land management instruments. This includes the active management of state-owned agricultural land, ensuring its optimal use within the broader context of rural development, rural development support programs, and land consolidation efforts.
• Establishing a Permanent Advisory Group (PAG) on land consolidation. The PAG's primary purpose is to facilitate discussions on lessons learned from past land consolidation projects and to prioritize policy objectives for the new National Land Consolidation Strategy 2024-2034. With members from a wide range of public and private sector entities, it serves as a mechanism to ensure the long-term sustainability of the National Land Consolidation Programme.
• Developing a new National Land Consolidation Strategy for the period 2024-2034 and Action Plan, in an inclusive and transparent process. This Strategy will be linked to the rural development context and support programs.