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Purchasing land in Bulgaria

Currently, the constitution does not allow foreigners to do so, a provision that is largely farcical because those who want to do so set up companies, which are permitted to make such purchases. The lifting of restrictions on land sales is a precondition for signing the European Union accession agreement by Bulgaria next year. This is a national priority, but is also known to be a political priority for the Government that wants to be able to claim this achievement before the parliamentary elections scheduled for summer next year.

The choice facing the committee is reported to be between lifting the ban only for EU citizens, or lifting it in regard to citizens of countries with which Bulgaria has an international accord, on conditions of reciprocity.

It does not seem much of a choice. Lifting the ban only for EU citizens leaves out in the cold people from other countries known to be interested in land purchases, including Japan, Russia and to a lesser extent, the United States.

Given that the latter option takes into account whether or not a country has a reciprocal agreement with Bulgaria, any concerns about legal or security issues would seem to be taken care of.

The committee would be well advised to take national priorities and the interests of equity into account, and swiftly come to the correct decision: to open the market for land to foreigners on as wide a basis as possible.