On October 2, pro-government media outlets “Marshalpress” and “INFO9” published articles in which one of the leaders of the political party “People’s Power,” Davit Kartvelishvili, claimed that in exchange for EU membership, Moldova will have to sell its agricultural land to foreigners. The politician stated that the EU Ambassador to Moldova, Jānis Mažeiks, let slip that under a secret agreement with the government, agricultural land will be sold to foreigners as part of the EU integration process. Kartvelishvili also claimed that “EU integration automatically implies the legalization of any purchasing power by the European economy.”
Georgian politician’s claim that Moldova would have to sell its agricultural land to foreigners in exchange for EU membership is false. He also interprets the statement made by the EU Ambassador to Moldova in a manipulative manner, who indeed spoke about the possible sale of land to foreigners, but later clarified that Moldova will make its own decision on this issue. Additionally, EU law officially recognizes the importance of agricultural land and allows countries to impose restrictions on its sale.
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What did the EU Ambassador to Moldova say?
On September 28, the EU Ambassador to Moldova, Jānis Mažeiks, stated that there are fears in the country that EU membership might lead to the sale of Moldovan agricultural land to citizens of other EU countries. He noted that this issue will be discussed during accession negotiations. The Ambassador emphasized that within the EU, there is the free movement of capital, and all citizens have the right to buy anything in any member state. He added that Moldova’s poverty needs to be taken into account, and the specifics will be determined during negotiations. However, in his opinion, selling land to foreigners could be beneficial as many villages in the country are abandoned, and selling land to foreigners could boost economic activity.
The Ambassador also mentioned, “There’s already a rumor that EU integration means selling land to foreigners, and this fear exists in certain places. Should Moldovans be worried about this? This aspect will be discussed during membership negotiations. Indeed, there is free movement of capital within the EU, allowing any citizen from one member state to buy anything in another member state. On the other hand, we understand that the Republic of Moldova is currently a poor country, and Moldova might request a transition period. I would not encourage this, though, as transition periods are exceptions, and exceptions are not good for legal systems. However, I believe it could be positive for the country. I see many villages abandoned or with very small populations, and selling land to foreigners in these areas could increase economic activity.”
After the statement caused a stir and led to concerns that Moldovan land would be sold to foreigners post-EU membership, Moldovan officials denied such a scenario. On September 29, President Maia Sandu stated that EU membership poses no threat to Moldovan land, which will remain in the hands of Moldovans. She also pointed out that several other member states have negotiated similar agreements during their accession and retained full control over the sale of agricultural land.
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What is the EU’s policy on selling agricultural land?
On October 3, Jānis Mažeiks himself responded to the speculations, clarifying his earlier remarks. He emphasized that Moldovan land would not be sold to foreigners, and no one (referring to the EU) would impose laws on Moldova forcing it to do so.
In a communication with TVR Moldova, the Ambassador noted that in many EU countries, the exclusive right to sell land rests with national authorities, and there is no EU law forcing land sales. He also confirmed that the main goal of negotiations with the EU is to protect the national interests of the candidate country. Like President Sandu, he noted that most countries that joined the EU in the past 20 years managed to negotiate agreements with the EU that either partially or fully restricted the sale of land to foreigners.
A 2021 document from the European Commission highlights that the regulation of agricultural land markets falls under the jurisdiction of member states. However, the sale of land is still subject to EU jurisdiction due to the prohibition of restrictions on the movement of capital (buying and selling within the EU). Nevertheless, the treaties recognize the importance of agricultural land
A 2021 document from the European Commission highlights that the regulation and implementation of agricultural land market policies fall under the jurisdiction of member states. However, the sale of these lands is still subject to EU jurisdiction because, under the organization’s treaties, restrictions on the free movement of capital (buying and selling within the EU) are prohibited. Nevertheless, EU treaties recognize the significance of agricultural land and allow member states to impose partial or full restrictions on foreign investments in such land. This is possible provided that the restriction is proportional to national/public interests. However, as noted in the document, it is difficult to determine what is proportional and what is not when protecting public interests. These factors allow Moldova to retain full control over its land sales during the negotiation process, which, as the President and Ambassador mentioned, many other states have already done.
It is also worth noting that in his statement, Kartvelishvili claimed that the corporation Blackrock purchased millions of hectares of land in Ukraine. He likely refers to the previously circulated information that three companies owned by Blackrock—Dupont, Cargill, and Monsanto—had bought 17 million hectares of land in Ukraine. This claim was fact-checked by “Myth Detector” and found to be false. Under Ukrainian law, the sale of agricultural land to foreign citizens and legal entities is prohibited. Furthermore, none of these three companies are listed as landowners in Ukraine.
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