ESTABLISHING A MODERN LAND ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM: THE CASE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC Vít Suchánek Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre Conference WB and FIG: „Land Governance in Support of MDGs: Responding to new Challenges“ Washington D.C., USA, March 9, 2009

Outline Historical roots of Czech Cadastre Cadastre of Real Estates of the Czech Republic Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre Information system of Czech Cadastre Creation, basic description Services and advanced features Consolidation Basic registers of the Czech republic Digitalization of cadastral maps Conclusions – lessons learnt

Historical roots of Czech Cadastre Common origins from Austria-Hungary empire Land Cadastre 1817, Land registry 1873 Czechoslovak Republic 1918 No major changes till 1950, Cadastre Act 1927 – changed mainly technical issues 1948 communists seized power 1951 Land Registry was closed 1964 Real Estate Inventory system – some cadastral features, but oriented towards usership relations to land 1989 – change of political system – shift towards market economy 1.1.1993 – commencement of Czech Cadastre and COSMC

Cadastre of Real Estates – „Czech Cadastre, CRE“ CRE is a collection of data about real estates, inclusive of their list and descriptions and their geometrical and positional determinations. Files on proprietary and other rights in rem form a component of CRE. CRE is kept as an information system about the territory of the Czech Republic predominantly in computerized form. Main parts: Descriptive Information Files – (written data on real estates and owners, fully computerized) Survey Information Files – cadastral maps mainly, digitized from 34% only

Rights recorded in Czech Cadastre Following rights are recorded to real estates in Czech Cadastre: Proprietary rights Mortgages Encumbrances Pre-emptive rights Recordings into Czech Cadastre are: Entry (changes of legal relations on contractual base. These rights originate, change or extinct by entry into the cadastre based on decision of a competent Cadastral Office.) Record (e.g. transfer of rights, based on decision of court or some state administration body) Annotation (recording of informative facts, e.g. in cases of distraints) And their deletions.

Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre COSMC is top umbrella governmental body for both Cadastre of Real Estates Administered by 14 regional cadastral offices with 107 cadastral workplaces, regional competence, about 5000 employees Central database in Prague at COSMC Surveying Administered predominantly by Land Survey Office with country wide competence, Geodetic control, State map series, ZABAGED – basic GIS, GEOPORTAL, surveying along state borders,, network of permanent GPS stations, …

Structure of the Branch of the COSMC

Information system of Cadastre of Real Estates („IS CRE“) - predecessors Computerisation of Real Estate Registry Uniform batch processing began in 1976, data corresponded to usership relation Till 1990 updates only in computer processing After 1990 – a need for a rapid change 1992 – 1995 introduction of PC at Cadastral Offices, system and data structure were still derived from the old system, many deficiencies Decision – to create a quite new system

IS CRE - creation Created in 1997-2001, application SW delivered by the Czech software house NESS Czech Not only the smooth development – very complex task – everything in the „one jump“, need for changes during development Complete renewal of IT infrastructure Subsystem of migration of data from the old system – testing since summer 1999 Launch of operation in September 2001

IS CRE – basic attributes Client / server architecture Common Oracle database for written and mapping part, mutual harmony is ensured Central database and 107 local databases interconnected via WAN Replication of changes from local databases every two hours – central database is up-to-date Uniformity is ensured – the remote SW installation to all CO in one moment, replication of classifiers from the centre

IS CRE – features of an advanced system I. Supports of all demands of state administration of Czech Cadastre, including legal rights to real estates Uniform for the whole country Checks data on owners against Registers of Inhabitants or Companies Possibility to view „historical“ and „future“ data Outputs are equipped with time of validity data Integration of written and mapping parts in one database ensures the mutual update written and mapping data

IS CRE – features of an advanced system II. Good security of system, username and password are necessary, all operations are logged permanently – any author of a given operation may be traced retroactively Real time data in the centre, which is the sole point for Internet services Internet service - Remote access to Cadastre data started already in 2001, enables to obtain a detailed Cadastre data from the whole country Continuous incremental further development since 2001

IS CRE – an overview of current services for clients Three ways of obtaining Cadastral information At counters of Cadastral Offices Data files (both descriptive and survey) in proprietary exchange format on media. There is a possibility to obtain only incremental changes in since the last time of getting data files Via Internet: Remote Access since 2001 Viewing at Cadastre since 2004 Web services since 2007

Remote Access Open for the public, but contract is necessary Search according to the identification of an owner or the address of real estate Full range of detailed information Excerpt from Cadastre and Copy of digital cadastral map procured with e-Mark (electronic public documents) Three slightly different versions for: General public (paid service) Public administration (free of charge) Authorising persons (notaries, contact points of public administrations, …, a small fee)

Copy of digital cadastral map via Remote Access procured with e-signature

Mapové výstupy z DP ISKN – orientační mapa parcel – rastr+ ortofoto+ geometrické plány

Number of clients of Remote Access in years 2001 - 2008

Certificate of non-registration in Cadastre Cadastre is obliged by law to issue electronic certificates that a person is not registered as an owner neither has some other rights to real estates Name, surname and PIN are needed In case that a person with identification data corresponding partially to the given identification is registered in Cadastre, this fact is stated in the certificate Service has been available since 1.1.2008

Viewing at Cadastre Access to basic selected information about parcels, buildings, flats and the identification of the owner Orientation map of parcels Simple switching between written and mapping data Data depicting how proceedings are processed at Cadastral Offices – status of specific proceeding, overview of all proceedings. Free of charge services, enormous interest of citizens

Orientation map of parcels with othophotos and centroids

First web services IS CRE has been providing web services, which deliver some outputs (e.g. Excerpt from Cadastre, overview of ownership, information on parcels, buildings, apartment units) in .PDF format since 2007 These documents are available also in XML format since January 2009 It enables to incorporate cadastral information into information systems of users directly

Notice service – January 2009 For citizens – announcement is sent (e-mail and / or SMS) in time of finishing the registration (only if citizen wants it and gives the addresses) – free of charge service For companies (banks and etc.) – Watch dog Warning about received proposals for registration, concerning real estates to which a user has ownership or other factual rights (e.g. from mortgages) Enables also to follow the progress of some proceedings (e.g. registration of mortgage) Pilot run in 2009

Registration of rights by entry into the Cadastre (in thousands of cases

Registration by record into the Cadastre (in thousands of cases)

Digitizing of cadastral maps Digitized from 34 only %, carrying out registering has not allowed more Governmental decision from July 2007: COSMC will receive extra budget – approx. 8,25 mil. EUR in each year 2009-2015 for hiring new 300 employees and for the involvement of private surveyors in order to speed up digitizing of cadastral maps Digitizing has to be completed by 2015

Further development of IS CRE Consolidation, centralisation of CRE Three tier architecture Easier implementation of new services Delayed by the cancellation of tender for new central HW, migration in the first half of 2010 System of basic registers of Czech Republic Parallel development of Register of Territorial Identification, Addresses and real estates (Czech Office) – mutual cooperation Implementation of INSPIRE Directive

Conclusions – lessons learnt Project of IS CRE – „big bang“, but very complex and demanding task Close cooperation with the deliverer of system necessary Necessity of careful testing Possibility to take over written data from the old system speeded up the creation of modern system Creation of digital cadastral maps based on old maps is very complex and demanding task.

Thank you for your attention! Vít Suchánek vit.suchanek@cuzk.cz www.cuzk.cz