Land Tenure And Land Administration For Social And

1LandTenureAndLandAdministrationForSocialAndEconomicDevelopmentIn(Western)EuropePaulvanderMolenDirectorCadastreandPublicRegistersAgencyP.O.Box90467300GHApeldoornTheNetherlandsTel:+31.55.5285226Fax:[phone]Email:[e-mail]ÖsterbergTechnicalDirectorSwedesurveyS-80182GavleTel:+46.26633850Fax:[phone]Email:[e-mail]-FIGConferenceonLandTenureandCadastralInfrastructuresforSustainableDevelopment,Melbourne,Australia24-27October1999ABSTRACTLandTenureandLandAdministrationinWesternEuropecontributetosustainablesocialandeconomicdevelopment.Howeverimprovementsareneededinlegislation(completeness),strategicaims,financialregime,accessibilityandspeedingupprocedures.Inthenextcenturythelandadministrationinstitutionsshouldanticipatemoregovernmentinterventioninprivateproperty,morepublicprivateco-operation,advancedapplicationofICTandencouragingandprovidingthecoreofaGI-infrastructure.Thesystemwillcoveritscostsandallowlongtermfinancialplanning.WithinEUafirststepinharmonisationwillbetaken.Keywordsandphrases:futuredevelopmentsinlandtenureandlandadministrationinWesternEurope.INTRODUCTIONAfteranintroductiontothehistoryoflandtenure,changesinconceptandimplementationofdeed-andtitleregistrationareanalysed,andrelatedtosustainabledevelopmentandtogoodgovernance.Thensomedevelopmentsinthenextyearstocomeareanalysedwhichthelandadministrationinstitutionshouldanticipate.21.HISTORYOFLANDADMINISTRATIONIN(WESTERN)EUROPEASACONTEXTFORTHEPRESENTSITUATIONPeoplesettledinnorthernEuropeafterthelasticeperiodaround10000yearsago.Theywerefirsthuntersandfishermenandthenlaterdevelopedtheuseofagricultureandmorestablesettlements,firstbasedonfamiliesandsmallergroups,whichlaterdevelopedintovillages.Newvillagesweredevelopedfromthefirstestablishedsettlementsandsomekindofownershipwasdevelopedforbuildingsites,agriculturefieldsandforhuntingandwoodproductsforareasbetweenvillages.Thefirstboundarieswereestablishedbetweenvillages.Withinthevillageownershipwasgenerallyconnectedtoashareoftheresourcesbelongingtothevillage.Thesharewaslocatedtoabuildingsiteandcertainstripsoflandinthevariouscultivatedfields.Forestandfishingrightswheregenerallynotdividedbetweenshareholdersbutusedincommonbytheinhabitantsinthevillage,boththoseowningsharesandalsobypeoplenotowninglandrights.In(western)Europethechangefromfeudalhierarchytowardsindividualpossessionoflandindicatestheemancipationofthepeople.Byowningland(e.g.‘feesimple’)anownerdeclareshisfreedom.Ittookmanyyearsbeforefeudalismdeclined,thoughhistoryshowsthatfeudalismoccurredinmanyforms,declinedandflourished,wasrelievedorstrengthened.Thedevelopmentofownershipofland(recognisedas‘rescorporeales’)underRomanlaw,thedominium,wasafterthedeathofthelastwest-romanking(476),influencedbytheFrankishkings.Thecentresofdominium,greatproprietors,whoalsoactedasgovernmentincludingtheapplicationofjustice,ownedthe‘villa’s’.TheRoman,German,andCelticlawweretherootsoffeudalismandsubinfeudation,andtheirmanifestationwasvarious,withthepeopleextortedwithpersonalservitude’s.Howeverinthe14thcenturyfeudalismwasdecliningbitbybitinthewest,andtighteningintheeast,causedbyadifferentdevelopmentofcentralpowerversusnobility,supplyofland,natureofagriculture,andthetowns.Lateronthedeclineoffeudalismcorrespondedverymuchwiththeindustrialisation(economicdevelopment),firststartinginEngland(17thcentury),theninwesternEurope(France1790attherevolution,Germanyearly19thcentury,Austrialate19thcentury),andthenineasternandsouthernparts(late19thand20thcentury).InnorthernEuropethefeudalsystemneverbecamedominantandastrongclassofindependentpeasantsexistedthroughhistory.Distinctionsintenurebetweennobilityandpeasantscametoanend,andthepeoplecouldhavetitletolandwithoutanyfurtherobligationtothelords(Powelson1988).ItissaidthatScotlandhasthelastfeudallandtenuresystemremaininginwesternEurope;thenewelectedScottishparliament(1999)giveslandreformahighpriority(McLarenetal,1999).InoldGermanictraditions,therightoflandusehasusuallynotbeenabsoluteasintheromanlaw.Thelanduserightsbelongedtoagroupandwasusedinmoreorlessintensiveways.Resourcesthatwereabundant,suchaswood,berries,wildlifeetc.wereusuallynotundertheabsolutecontrolofalandowner.ThesetraditionsstillprevailsinpartsofGermanyandinScandinavia,wherethelandownercannotpreventanyonefromtrespassingorcampingonhisland.Wildberriesandmushroomsarealsocommonpropertyfromwhichanyonecanbenefit.Thesetraditionsarein3Swedentodayknownastherightofpublicaccesstolandandcanbeenjoyedbyanyoneirrespectiveofthelandowner.LandtransferandlandregistrationTherightoflandusewasinheritedwithinfamilies.Transferoflandtosomeoneoutsideofthefamilycouldnottakeplacewithouttheconsentofallfamilymemberswithapotentialrightintheland.Alandtransferthereforehadtotakeplacebeforethecourtorthething,wheretheintentiontotransferapieceoflandtoanyoneoutsideofthefamilywasannouncedandfinallyapprovedanda“title”tothelandcouldbeissuedTheprocessandthetitlewereregisteredinthecourtproceedings,firstbyoraltraditionsandlaterinwriting.Thecourtproceedingswereorganise