604. Interference must pursue a legitimate aim.

Any interference by a public authority with the right to property¹ must pursue a legitimate aim². Whether the obligation in question is negative or positive, there must be a legitimate reason for the state's action or inaction respectively; at the same time, national legislatures enjoy a wide margin of appreciation as to whether interference with the right to property is in the public interest (under the first and second rules) or the general interest (under the third rule), and the Court will respect the legislature's judgment on this question unless it is manifestly without reasonable foundation