EC steps up infringement procedure against Hungary over farmland sale restrictions
Budapest, May 26 (MTI) – The European Commission on Thursday said it stepped up an infringement procedure against Hungary for restrictions on farmland.
“Hungary has a very restrictive system which imposes a complete ban on the acquisition of land by legal entities and an obligation on the buyer to farm the land himself,” the Commission said.
Rules on farmland purchases “must be proportionate and cannot be discriminatory towards other EU citizens” if they are to comply with EU law, it added.
The EC formally requested that Hungary amend legislation on the restrictions in a “reasoned opinion”, marking the second step in an infringement procedure.
The procedure was launched a little more than a year ago.
If Hungary fails to comply within two months, the EC may refer Hungary to the EU’s Court of Justice.
The EC said on Thursday that it also sent reasoned opinions on similar restrictions on the sale of farmland to Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.
Speaking at a regular press briefing, government office chief János Lázár said Hungary’s and Brussels’ view on the issue are far apart. Hungarian lawmakers have decided that foreigners and companies may not buy farmland in Hungary, he explained, adding that there would be a “big fight” over the matter.
Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters
More attacks from the tyrannical despots from Belgium. Shakespeare wrote, “something’s rotten in Denmark” but really meant Belgium.
There is only one thing left for Hungary, leave the EU. The EU has no right to challenge the restriction on sale of farmland. It is easy for richer countries to buy up all the land in Hungary and take away the ownership of the country. It is apparent that the EU wants to dump all unwanted migrants in Hungary. Is it not interesting that while Hungary was over run by illegal migrants the EU had no problems with Hungary. It is time to leave the EU dictatorship.