19/01/2024 (Agence Europe) – In a judgment handed down on Thursday 18 January (case C-562/22), the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Bulgarian legislation, which imposes a minimum residence requirement of 5 years in Bulgaria before agricultural land can be acquired, establishes an unjustified restriction on the free movement of capital (Article 63 TFEU) and limits the purchaser’s choice of residence (Article 2 ECHR). According to the Court, this measure goes beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives pursued by Bulgarian law, namely to facilitate the continuation of farming and to limit property speculation. For further information, go to https://aeur.eu/f/ah2 (MB)