Summary

On 20 March 2026, the Federal Council adopted a message on amendments to the Geoinformation Act (GeoIG) to clarify the ÖREB Cadastre (Cadastre of Public Law Property Restrictions) and improve access to property information. The reform simplifies registration rules, clarifies the functions of land register annotations and cadastral entries, and will in future also allow generally abstract regulations such as building and setback lines. The consultation process showed broad support; criticism mainly concerned implementation details.

Persons

  • Federal Council (collectively)

Topics

  • Property Information
  • Geoinformation and Digitalization
  • Planning Law
  • Real Estate Management

Clarus Lead

The Federal Council is modernizing the legal basis for the ÖREB Cadastre, an information system on public law property restrictions that has existed since 2007. The legislative amendment is relevant for property owners, planning professionals, and authorities, as it increases legal certainty and simplifies administrative processes. The reform will in future integrate the cadastre into a national property information portal and expands the catalog to include generally abstract regulations such as building and setback lines.

Detailed Summary

The ÖREB Cadastre is an interactive information system that provides information on essential public law property restrictions – such as land use plans, water protection areas, and groundwater protection zones. Since its introduction in 2007, it has been continuously expanded and now covers 22 federal law topics. This information is central to building permit procedures and the planning of property projects.

The planned Geoinformation Act amendment aims at three main improvements: First, the rules for cadastral registration are simplified. Second, the distinction between land register annotations and cadastral entries is clarified to avoid legal uncertainties. Third, special law liability and the legal fiction of knowledge of cadastral content are abolished – a step to reduce complexity.

In future, the cadastre will also contain generally abstract, binding authority orders, such as defined building and setback lines to roads, buildings, and water bodies. This data will be made centrally accessible through a national property information portal. The consultation process (March to June 2025) showed broad acceptance; isolated criticism concerned technical implementation aspects, which will be clarified in a later consultation process on implementation regulations.

Key Points

  • The Federal Council is regulating the ÖREB Cadastre anew to improve legal certainty and access to property information
  • The legislative amendment simplifies registration rules and clarifies the functions of land register annotations versus cadastral entries
  • The cadastre will in future also contain generally abstract regulations such as building and setback lines
  • Integration into a national property information portal is planned
  • The consultation process showed broad support with constructive criticism on implementation details

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Data Quality: How is it ensured that the 22 federal law topics and future generally abstract regulations are recorded and updated with consistent quality across all cantons?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: What incentives do cantons and municipalities have to feed their data into the ÖREB Cadastre promptly and completely if special law liability is abolished?

  3. Causality/Alternatives: To what extent does the abolition of liability and legal fictions of knowledge actually increase legal certainty – or does it create new uncertainties for property owners and planners?

  4. Feasibility/Risks: What technical and organizational challenges exist in integrating the ÖREB Cadastre into a national portal, and how is interoperability between federal levels ensured?

  5. Implementation: How is it prevented that the simplification of registration rules leads to fragmentation of standards?

  6. Data Quality: What transitional provisions apply to existing entries that were recorded under old liability rules?

Sources

Primary Source: Federal Council Press Release – Message on the Cadastre of Public Law Property Restrictions – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/pIPiw2MiEGBvQiyJX1ogG

Supplementary Sources:

  1. Message on Amendment to the Geoinformation Act (20.03.2026)
  2. Federal Law on Geoinformation (20.03.2026)
  3. Report on the Consultation Process (20.03.2026)

Verification Status: ✓ 20.03.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 20.03.2026