Abstract
The post-socialist transition process in Central & Eastern European countries has many common features: political, legislative and institutional reform, economic restructuring based on privatization, socio-demographic and cultural change. Throughout the region, land privatization was followed by dynamic land use changes during the past decade. In all these countries, major driving forces of recent land use changes can be identified as: reform of the farming sector; national agricultural policies, under the impact of gradual adjustment to the Common agricultural policy of the EU; urban decentralization and subsequent suburbanization, stimulated by penetration of foreign and private investment and private business initiative in all economic sectors; demographic and social polarization; increasing affluence and changing lifestyles; increasing role of local authorities in territorial planning.
