Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001331/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Siegbert Frank Droese (ESN)
In January 2025, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriations Act of 2024 into law, thereby allowing the state to seize land without compensation. This act also extends the grounds on which the government may expropriate land, from the improvement of public service, such as for infrastructure and hospitals, to include the ‘public interest’. The public interest is defined in section 25(4)(a) of the South African Constitution as including initiatives supporting land reform and equitable access to natural resources.
In March 2025, EU leaders announced a EUR 4.7 billion investment package for South Africa.
The rule of law, enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, is the cornerstone of the EU.
In the light of this:
- 1.Does the Commission consider South Africa’s Expropriations Act to be in keeping with the principles of the rule of law as enshrined in Article 2?
- 2.How does the Commission interpret the idea of the state expropriating land without compensation as achieving ‘equity’?
- 3.Does the observance of the rule of law in a country factor into the Commission’s decisions regarding whether to grant aid or investment?
Submitted: 1.4.2025