Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change considers extending SIRGIC cost-free period

April 14, 2023

The SiRGIC – Land Registry Information Collection and Management System of the Azores was created by the Regional Legislative Decree no. 25/2020/A of 14 October 2020, and is the result of the adaptation of Law 78/2017 of 17 August, which aims to identify the land ownership structure and the ownership of rural, urban and mixed-use property in the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

According to the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change, Alonso Miguel, “this is a land registry system that, as an administrative record, characterises and identifies the boundaries and ownership of existing properties in the territory, becoming a key tool to support public decision-making, particularly with regard to spatial planning and land management.”

The government official also added that “with the entry into force of SiRGIC, it became mandatory to indicate the Georeferenced graphical identification number for land registration purposes. The process of delimitation and submission of this information is free of charge until December 31, 2023.”

“Despite the significant compliance with this procedure, the number of Georeferenced Graphical Identification submissions in the Region still represents a small portion of the territory, for which reason we are currently assessing the possibility of extending this cost-free period as a way to continue promoting the participation of citizens in the process of identifying their properties,” states the government official.

"With regard to properties without known owner, as legally stipulated at a national level, the SiRGIC also includes a process of identification and recognition of the properties without a known owner in the Azores," stressed Alonso Miguel.

"In fact, the legislation stipulates that, following a public process attempting to identify the owners, with the involvement of entities such as the Institute for Registries and Notary Affairs, the Tax and Customs Authority, the Agriculture and Fisheries Financing Institute and local authorities, among other entities, a provisional registration may be carried out in favour of the Autonomous Region of the Azores," added the government official.

Alonso Miguel clarified that "in these cases, should it be justified, if there are concerns about the safety of the population, public health, environmental protection or other risks for people and property, the Region may take administrative possession of properties without a known owner by means of a provisional registration of the property, which is not a direct and automatic process."

"In effect, the law provides that this provisional registration will have a minimum duration of 15 years, and only at the end of that period can it be converted into a definitive registration, after, once again, a public hearing process," said the government official.

The Regional Secretary pointed out, however, that "during the provisional registration period, at any time, upon recognition by the owner, the property may be returned, and the respective registration may be carried out in the owner's name."

As Alonso Miguel stressed, "what is planned for the moment is the expiration of SiRGIC cost-free period at the end of 2023 and, to date, the Region has not yet had the need to begin the process of identifying properties without a known owner."