and regardless
of the nature of the land, it provided a complete record
of all land units within the area – including unique identification – and
defined these units on comprehensive maps. To attain this goal, cadas-
tres and land registers must be kept simple, and must be concentrated
on the essentials. Furthermore, the work must have a solid foundation.
Even if conditions
are changed over time, if new aspects have become
relevant, if new political winds have started to blow, the process must
still continue along the same main lines until it is finished. Costs must
be kept reasonable in relation to expected medium-term benefits. This
is more important than producing a product which is technically per-
fect. There are many examples in Europe of cadastral systems which
have been stopped or delayed because of faltering political support.
Even in France – the cradle of the European cadastre – it was difficult
to complete and maintain the cadastre.
Cadastres were created with the aim
of improving the basis for
land taxation, and land register were established to make land transac-
tions more secure. Initially they were independent of each other, but
they have become increasingly interrelated, and are used with increas-
ing frequency for purposes other than the original ones. It has taken a
long time, however, for most European countries to reach this point.
Difficulties arose since the original records
were not designed as parts
of common information systems, and because their maintenance was
entrusted to different organizations. It is, therefore, essential that the
goals of multiple usage and integration will be adopted the conception
of a modern cadastral/land information system.
If land records develop along these lines,
the chosen cadastral unit
will become important in many connections. If legal land registration,
as well as other land records are based on the same unit, the unit will
assume considerable legal and practical importance. In most countries
with well-developed cadastral/land information systems, subdivision
or other changes in the cadastral unit require formal legal proceedings
and, as a rule, re-surveying. Private changes
or subdivisions made
without formal proceedings are not accepted or given legal status. A
conclusion drawn from European experiences is that the land unit
tends to become a legal entity protected by law.
A cadastre/land register must cover an entire geographical area in
order to provide essential benefits from a public point of view. Seen
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from the viewpoint of the private owner, even a sporadic register can
be useful, as it can provide protection for his interests.
Finally, the rapid rate of change in existing European systems, es-
pecially during the last two decades, shows
clearly that the design of
cadastral/land registration systems must be future oriented. This ap-
plies to technical aspects as well as to the fundamental principles of
the system. Less-developed countries must, therefore, carefully con-
sider and evaluate all experiences which can be obtained from other
countries. An example is automation. It is often doubtful whether it
should be introduced from the beginning. Today's
systems and struc-
tures must be planned in such a way that necessary changes are easy
to make tomorrow.
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