Joint Meeting of FIG Commission 3 and 7
Information and Land Management - A Decade After the Millennium
Sofia, Bulgaria, 15-17 November 2010
![](http://vwwv.fig.net/news/archive/news_2010/sofia_nov_2010/banner.jpg)
The Joint FIG Commission 3 and 7 Workshop and 2010 Annual
Meeting of Commission 3 took place in Sofia, on the 15-17 of November. The
Workshop was organized by FIG Commissions 3 and 7 and the Chamber of
Graduated Surveyors of Bulgaria. The meeting was the 4th Workshop of FIG
Commission 3 in the four-year term of office 2007-2010.
FIG Commission 3, with an acknowledgement of its
responsibility to serve the society, has followed the major social changes
and finished its four-year work plan in Sofia. During this period Commission
3 has focused on investigating the problems that are related to the current
urban growth and on identifying the appropriate land tools for good
governance.
![Click picture for bigger format.](http://vwwv.fig.net/news/archive/news_2010/sofia_nov_2010/podium_600.jpg)
Angel Yanakiev, Chairman of Chamber of Graduated Surveyors
giving his welcome address; Minister of Regional Planning and Public
Works of Bulgaria Mr. Rosen Plevneliev, Prof. Chryssy
Potsiou, FIG Commission 3 chair, András Osskó, FIG
Commission 7 chair, Aleksander Lazarov, Executive Manager of
Agency of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre, and Prof. Slaveyko
Gospodinov, Dean of Faculty of Geodesy in the University of
Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy. |
The technical program included the opening session, seven technical
sessions, and the closing session, which took place at the headquarters of
the Agency of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre. In total 38 papers were
presented and almost 80 participants registered to the workshop coming from
18 countries: Bulgaria (33), Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, FY Republic of Macedonia, Nigeria, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, USA and FAO.
The opening of the Workshop was announced by the Minister of Regional
Planning and Public Works, Mr. Rosen Plevneliev, who underlined the
need of spatial information for the development and the economy of Bulgaria.
The Minister also emphasized the important role of the Bulgarian surveyors
for the implementation of the cadastre and the infrastructure improvements
(such as motorways and bridges), planning, construction and other land
management activities. Welcome addresses were made by Angel Yanakiev,
Aleksander Lazarov, Prof. Chryssy Potsiou, András Osskó,
and Slaveyko Gospodinov. Invited speakers included FIG Honorary
members Prof. Ivan Katzarsky and Prof. Dr. Eng. Georgi Milev,
who gave very interesting presentations.
Aleksander Lazarov, Head of Land Administration Agency, described the
progress of the cadastral project in Bulgaria and emphasized the need for
further funding for continuation of the project; Angel Yanakiev, chairman of
the Chamber of Graduated Surveyors, thanked FIG and especially Commissions 3
and 7 for their support and contribution.
Prof. Potsiou, Chair of Commission 3, congratulated the local organizers
for the excellent organization of the Workshop and their cooperation with
FIG Commissions 3 and 7, the invited speakers, national delegates and
speakers for their valuable contributions, and the young surveyors’
participation. She emphasized the contribution of Bulgarian experts in the
workshop and FIG community and reminded to the participants that Bulgaria
not only plays a role in the Balkan region and in Europe in general, but it
also had a leading role in FIG during the beginning of ‘80s. She also
referred to the topics of the workshop, and explained the need for providing
new tools for land and information management to respond to the emerging
challenges of economic crisis and climate change.
Andras Ossko, Chair of Commission 7 also congratulated the local
organizers, the speakers and the participants and he emphasized the
importance of the Minister’s participation to the Workshop. He explained
that there is a great need for coordination among the government and the
surveyors of the public and private sectors internationally in order to
achieve the desired results. Prof. Slaveyko Gospodinov, Dean of Faculty of
Geodesy in the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy,
welcomed participants, gave a brief update of the surveying education in
Bulgaria and its link with cadastre.
International invited speakers were Robert W. Foster, FIG Honorary
President, who gave a speech on “225 Years of Land Management in the
United States”, Rumyana Tonchovska, Senior Land Administration
Officer, Environment, Climate Change and Bioenergy Division, FAO, on “Information
and Land Management in Support of Good Governance”, Helge Onsrud,
FIG Honorary Member, on “Protecting land in Norway through state
ownership and public restrictions on private land”, and Dr Ing. Otmar
Schuster, who presented the resolutions of the interesting Workshop on “Transaction
in the Digital Age Register-property cadastre-mortgaging Actual Conclusions”
that was held in Duisburg in September this year.
Young surveyors had an increased participation in numbers this year due
to the Bulgarian, Italian, Greek and Israel delegations. More detailed
information, the papers, presentations and resolutions of this workshop will
be available soon on the FIG Commission 3 and 7 websites.
The optional double blind peer review of submitted papers was applied for
a fourth year in a Commission 3 workshop. Prof. Yerach Doytsher,
incoming chair of Commission 3, was responsible for the peer review, six
papers received successful peer review for this workshop.
Makis Apostolatos, FIG Commission 3 Vice Chair of Administration,
has again offered his experience and assistance in organizing this Workshop.
During the Commission 3 annual meeting there was a brief presentation, by
Prof. Potsiou on the achievements of Commission 3 during the current period,
which came to an end, and acknowledgements to all contributors, delegates,
invited speakers, organizers of workshops and meetings. Prof. Doytsher
presented the draft work plan and the working group chairs for the new term.
Mr. Rafic Khouri, announced the organization of the next FIG
Commission 3 Workshop in Paris in Autumn 2011.
The Chamber of Graduated Surveyors of Bulgaria organized exciting social
events and a very interesting cultural half-day tour to the famous Rila
monastery. FIG Commissions 3 and 7 whish to thank the local Organizers Angel
Yanakiev, Zlatan Zlatanov and Maria Sotirova for the excellent
organization and their warm hospitality.
Prof. Chryssy Potsiou Chair of FIG Commission 3.
![Click picture for bigger format.](http://vwwv.fig.net/news/archive/news_2010/sofia_nov_2010/group_1_300.jpg) Workshop Participants with young surveyors in the first row. |
![Click picture for bigger format.](http://vwwv.fig.net/news/archive/news_2010/sofia_nov_2010/group_2_300.jpg) Participants in a group picture. |
![Click picture for bigger format.](http://vwwv.fig.net/news/archive/news_2010/sofia_nov_2010/minister_300.jpg) Minister
Rosen Plevneliev. |
![Click picture for bigger format.](http://vwwv.fig.net/news/archive/news_2010/sofia_nov_2010/ossko_1_300.jpg) FIG Commission 7 Chair
Andras Ossko. |
![Click picture for bigger format.](http://vwwv.fig.net/news/archive/news_2010/sofia_nov_2010/general_1_300.jpg) Participants at the workshop. |
![Click picture for bigger format.](http://vwwv.fig.net/news/archive/news_2010/sofia_nov_2010/lazarov_participants_300.jpg)
Aleksander Lazarov discussing with participants. |
![Click picture for bigger format.](http://vwwv.fig.net/news/archive/news_2010/sofia_nov_2010/gospodinov_angel_300.jpg)
Slaveyko Gospodinov and Angel Yanakiev. |
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15 December 2010
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