The Land Code prohibits foreigners from owning land in the Republic of Moldova. The National Action Plan for Moldova’s accession to the European Union does not foresee any changes to the legislation, which would allow people from other countries to buy land in Moldova.
The National Action Plan for Moldova’s EU accession states that the country will not adopt directives requiring regulatory changes to permit land sales to foreign citizens.
Parliament approved the last amendments to the Land Code in 2023. At that time, the novelty was that agricultural ownership and forest land could not be acquired or owned by foreign citizens, whether natural or legal. Foreign citizens who acquire agricultural or forest land through inheritance, court judgment, or mortgage must sell it within one year of acquisition.
On Friday, September 27, Janis Mazeiks, head of the European Union Delegation to Moldova, spoke on RLIVE TV about misinformation regarding land sales to foreign citizens. Due to simultaneous translation, journalists from BANI.MD, part of the Realitatea media group, misunderstood the discussion and aired an inaccurate news report.
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Several controversial politicians seized the materials and footage, distorted the information, and falsely claimed that the land would be sold to foreigners. Janis Mazeiks clearly stated that the issue remained under negotiation.
Janis Mazeiks’ statement
“The accession negotiations must address this issue. In the European Union, there is free movement of capital, so any citizen from one member state can buy anything in another. We understand that, at the moment, the Republic of Moldova is a poor state, and in this area, Moldova will require a transition period. I would not encourage this because the transitional period is an exception, and by definition, exceptions are not a good thing in a legal system. On the other hand, there is room for discussion.”
As soon as the editorial team recognized the issue, they removed the story from the website to prevent the spread of misinformation and misinterpretation in the public space.
It is not the first time this has happened, and the Realitatea press group team is concerned about this phenomenon. It has publicly announced that it will dissociate itself from this information, maliciously presented by electoral contestants, current or former politicians, and controversial figures in the public space.
At the same time, reactions came from Prime Minister Dorin Recean, President Maia Sandu, and civil society experts. The Prime Minister assured us that there would be no negotiations on any subject that went against Moldova’s national interest. The head of state also denied the reports claiming – that foreign citizens could purchase the land plots.
WatchDog analyst Andrei Curararu explained that he believes Kremlin agents of influence have initiated a disinformation campaign regarding Moldovan land acquisition by foreigners. EU member states such as Romania, Hungary, Latvia, Latvia, Croatia, and Poland have either introduced strict rules for such transactions or banned them completely.