Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 426-447) and index.

In my thesis I follow historical development of property rights in Europe. I focus in particular on relationship to land and records of property conditions in law. The important moments are relation between ownership and state and landed property as a policy instrument. The aim is to reveal, when and how the ownership as a legal institution came into being and how the status of an individual reflected his or her ability to acquire property. I pay attention to the most significant law-making factors and to the way how the ownership relations affect social order and economic performance at the particular time. The theoretical part firstly defines relevant terms of law and then deals with the institution of property in the history of philosophy and economic thoughts. The analytical part compares development of property rights in the Czech lands with that of state forms on the territory of nowadays Germany. The comparison sets this development in a wider frame of legal, political and economic history and observes the interaction of the both lands in the area of property conditions in the past.

Depuis plusieurs décennies, un grand nombre de pays du Sud ont suivi un processus de généralisation de politiques de formalisation des droits fonciers via l'intervention publique, fondant leur argumentaire sur des objectifs d'augmentation des investissements productifs et d'établissement de la paix sociale. Madagascar constitue un cas d'étude de l'implémentation d'une politique « soft » d'enregistrement des droits fonciers à travers la certification foncière (2005), envisagée comme une alternative aux procédures de titrage dont les limites ont été empiriquement documentées. Cette thèse s'inscrit dans une perspective d'économie néo-institutionnelle tout en intégrant des sensibilités issues d'autres sciences sociales (socio-économie et anthropologie). Elle traite de l'influence de l'introduction de la procédure de certification sur les pratiques formelles et informelles de sécurisation des droits fonciers. Elle combine des techniques de recueil et de traitements qualitatifs et quantitatifs. Les analyses qualitative et économétrique montrent que la recherche de la sécurisation des droits fonciers est le principal déterminant du recours à la certification. En effet, ce recours est envisagé indépendamment d'éventuelles perspectives de mise sur le marché des terres dans de meilleures conditions, d'accès à un crédit formel, ou encore d'investissements productifs sur la parcelle une fois celle-ci certifiée. Les caractéristiques de la parcelle influent aussi bien sur la décision de certifier que sur le choix des parcelles à certifier au sein d'un patrimoine d'un ménage. La relative faible demande de certificat est davantage expliquée par les dispositifs locaux de sécurisation existants et par l'incomplétude du faisceau de droits des individus sur certaines parcelles, que par les coûts de la procédure de certification. La procédure de certification n'élimine pas les dispositifs locaux existants de sécurisation, très standardisés, et considérés comme légitimes. Les autorités locales (impliquées ou non dans la procédure de certification), et dans certains cas leur interprétation du nouveau cadre légal, jouent un rôle dans le maintien de ces dispositifs locaux de sécurisation après la réforme de 2005. Ces résultats invitent à discuter des orientations futures de la réforme foncière afin de poursuivre l'effort de décentralisation de la gestion foncière et le développement d'outils mieux adaptés aux besoins de sécurisation des ménages ruraux. / For several decades, a large number of countries of the South have followed policies of formalization of land rights through public intervention, establishing their argument on objectives of productive investments increase and establishment of social peace. Madagascar constitutes a case study of the implementation of a land rights recording “soft” policy through land certification (2005), envisaged as an alternative to land titles procedures for which the limits were empirically documented. This study is in a perspective of neo-institutional economy while integrating sensibilities from other social sciences (socioeconomics and anthropology). It deals with the influence of the certification introduction on the formal and informal practices of land rights securisation. It combines qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques and analyzes. Qualitative and econometric analyses show that the pursuit of securing land rights is the main determinant for certification process engagement. This engagement is considered independently of the conditions improvement for launching land market, for access to formal credit, or for investment on the land legally secure. The plot characteristics influence as well the decision to certificate as the choice of the plots of land to be certified within land in possession of a household. The relative low demand of certificate is explained more by the local land securisation practices and procedures and by the incompleteness of individuals' bundle of rights on certain plots, than by the costs of the certification procedure. Land certification does not eliminate the existing written local formalisation very standardized and considered justifiable. The local authorities (involved or not in the procedure of certification), and in certain cases their interpretation of the new legal framework, play a role in the preservation of these local land securisation. These results invite us to discuss about the future orientations of the land reform to pursue the effort of land management decentralisation and the development of tools even more adapted to the needs for rural households securisation.

Denna uppsats undersöker om förfarande vid förtätning på fastigheter som besväras av tomträtt har potentialen att avhjälpa den rådande bostads- och markbristen. Jordabalken innehåller i sitt 13:e kapitel, bestämmelser om tomträtt. En nyttjanderätt till en allmänt ägd fastighet i obestämd tid mot en avgäld i pengar. Tomträtten är unik bland nyttjanderätter då den delar många liknelser med äganderätt. Rättighetshavarens starka position sätter hinder för exploateringsförfaranden då det i dagsläget föreligger krav om att rättighetens parter måste komma överens om förändringar i avtalet. Även om tvångsmässiga förfaranden är möjligt skapar även där rättighetsinnehavarens starka position svårigheter för förändring i befintliga tomträtter. Denna studie finner att tomträtten har potential att avhjälpa bostads- och markbristen, men att denna potential kan förbättras genom förändringar i rådande bestämmelser. / This paper examines whether the practice of densification on properties encumbered by land right has the potential to remedy the current housing and land shortage. The Land Code contains in its 13th chapter provisions on land rights. A usufruct right to a publicly owned property for an indefinite period in return for a monetary compensation. The land right is unique among usufruct rights as it shares many similarities with ownership rights. The rights holder's strong position hinders exploitation procedures as there is currently a requirement that the parties of the right must agree on changes to the agreement. Although coercive procedures are possible, even there the strong position of the right holder creates difficulties for changes in existing land rights. This study finds that land rights have the potential to remedy the housing and land shortage, but that this potential can be improved through changes in existing regulations.

Como a qualidade das instituições influencia a escolha estratégica para a proteção do direito de propriedade sobre a terra no Brasil? Na maior parte dos países, o Estado é o guardião do direito de propriedade sobre a terra porque usufrui vantagens no exercício da atividade e proporciona ganhos para a sociedade. Contudo, fragilidades institucionais atenuam a eficácia da proteção legal, levando a tentativas de captura de direitos imperfeitamente protegidos e fomentando ações de proteção pelos seus detentores, log criando cenário favorável a disputas. Dada a existência de fragilidades na definição e proteção dos direitos de propriedade sobre a terra no Brasil, este estudo analisa a relação entre o ambiente institucional e o emprego de arranjos privados para satisfazer a necessidade dos possuidores de direitos. Ele está dividido em quatro partes. A primeira, apresenta a evolução da teoria sobre a Análise Econômica dos Direitos de Propriedade e como foi incorporada à literatura de análise estratégica. Discute sob a ótica teórica as consequências de haver deficiência na proteção de direitos de propriedade pelo Estado. A segunda parte apresenta como os direitos de propriedade sobre a terra no Brasil foram formados e o ambiente institucional em nível nacional e internacional. Em seguida, caracteriza o setor de florestas plantadas e as disputas por terras a ele associadas. A quarta parte discute as estratégias privadas para suprir a debilidade do Estado na proteção de direitos, e é composta por um modelo teórico e por três estudos de caso de empresas brasileiras do setor de florestas plantadas. O modelo teórico relaciona a qualidade das instituições, o emprego de múltiplos mecanismos de proteção, o custo de transação para proteção de atributos alocados em domínio público e a importância dos mecanismos privados para a proteção dos direitos de propriedade. A última parte apresenta os resultados. O estudo empírico conclui que a qualidade das instituições (i) fundamenta a escolha estratégica e a adaptação organizacional para proteção de direitos de propriedade; (ii) determina o custo de transação para proteção do direito de propriedade através dos mecanismos formais; e, com destaque, (iii) determina a importância dos mecanismos privados para a proteção dos direitos de propriedade sobre a terra. / How does the quality of institutions influence the strategic choice for the protection of land property rights in Brazil? In most countries, the state is the steward of the property right over land because it enjoys advantages in the exercise of the activity and provides gains for society. However, institutional fragilities reduce the effectiveness of legal protection, leading to attempts to capture imperfectly protected rights, and promoting the adoption of protective measures on the part of their holders, thus creating a favorable scenario for disputes. Given the existence of vulnerabilities in the definition and protection of land rights in Brazil, this study analyzes the relationship between the institutional environment and the use of private arrangements to meet the needs of right holders. It is divided into four parts. The first one presents the evolution of the theory on Economic Analysis of Property Rights and how it was incorporated in the literature of strategic analysis. It discusses from a theoretical perspective the consequences of there being deficiencies in the protection of property rights by the State. The second part shows how land property rights in Brazil were formed and the institutional environment both at national and international levels. Next, it characterizes the plantation forests sector and disputes over land associated with it. The fourth part discusses private strategies to address the vulnerability of the state in protecting rights. It is composed of a theoretical model and three case studies of Brazilian planted forest based companies. The theoretical model addresses the quality of institutions, the use of multiple protection mechanisms, the transaction cost for protection of attributes allocated in public domain and the importance of private mechanisms for the protection of property rights. The last part presents the results. The empirical study concludes that the quality of the institutions (i) supports the strategic choice and the organizational adaptation for the protection of property rights; (ii) determines the transaction cost of protecting property rights through formal mechanisms; and, especially, (iii) determines the importance of private mechanisms for the protection of land property rights.