IPRA-CINDER declaration on land registration projects in Greece

IPRA CINDER is aware of the need for developing land registry systems and supports any initiative undertaken to improve such systems all over the world. As academics and practitioners proved, land registry is an instrument which influences the states evolution from many perspectives. It is enough to mention the relation between the economic growth and the land registry or the relation between Social peace and land registry. Land registry should provide legal certainty and those who must be real guardians of the property are the land registrars, acting according to the law.

Recent development in Greece proved that there is often a need for a better understanding of what land registry represents. The last 23 years of attempts to create a Cadastre in Greece proved that reforms ignoring the legal value of property rights registration do not bring the expected outcome and cannot contribute to the recovery of the country’s economy. Moreover, chain of transfer has been interrupted entailing a sever increase of bureaucracy and litigation.

The above prove the necessity for a new approach that should reconsider the role of the land registry as the entity providing legal certainty.

IPRA CINDER expresses its concern about the recent events in Greece which directly affect land registration and may have undesired consequences for the entire legal system of the country. Land registry is not only a legal matter, but also a matter of social responsibility.

Our hope is that the value of Greek land registry and the land registrars’ expertise will overpass particular interests in the benefit of the citizen and the public interest.

(Approved by the General Assembly during the XXI World Land Registration Congress celebrated in Cartagena de Indias 4th May 2018)