Umorzenie opłaty rocznej z tytułu wyłączenia gruntów z produkcji rolnej w przypadku inwestycji o charakterze użyteczności publicznej z zakresu kultu religijnego.
Remission of the annual fee for withdrawing land from agricultural production in the case of public utility investments in religious worship.

An approving commentary on the judgment of the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Bydgoszcz of 11 January 2022 (II SA/Bd 909/21)

Summary/Abstract: The judgment under discussion pertains to the institution of remission of the annual fee for withdrawing land from agricultural production by a religious organization for purposes of religious worship pursuant to Article 12 para. 16 of the Act of 3 February 1995 on the Protection of Agricultural and Forest Land. The article concentrates on the method and scope of examining in administrative proceedings the conditions for remission of public dues in the case of public utility investments in religious worship. The aim is to determine the circumstances which should be taken into account by public administration when considering applications for remission of the annual fee for permanent withdrawal of land from agricultural production. In particular, the article aims to establish whether investigating the legitimacy of an application should only be limited to assessing fulfilment of the legal conditions for granting the relief indicated in the above-mentioned provision or whether it should also involve an analysis of entity-related factors, i.e., the situation of an applicant organization. The analysis confirms that, in line with the position of the court, the investigation of the conditions for remission of the annual fee by administrative authorities should comprise two stages, involving an examination of both the objective conditions for granting the relief and the actual and financial situation of the beneficiary. This conclusion is supported by the purpose of the Act on the Protection of Agricultural and Forest Land and the special character of the activity of the authority issuing the decision as a decision-maker entrusted with administrative discretion.

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