MPs Didn't Pass Amendment to Land Registry Act to Its Second Reading

Bratislava, 23 April (TASR) - Lawmakers didn't advance the government-proposed amendment to the Land Registry Act to its second reading on Thursday, with only 73 of the 146 MPs present voting in favour of the bill. Several MPs from the coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) abstained from voting. The aim of the bill was to introduce mandatory authentication or registration for certain types of personal data published on land registry websites. Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) described the amendment as standard practice, noting that similar rules exist in other European Union countries. "No one is prohibiting anyone from checking and viewing information through the land registry. Even after this amendment, anyone can see who owns what, of course free of charge, simply by providing identification," he responded to the criticism of the changes to the Land Registry Act. According to Takac, the amendment offers a modern and balanced solution that preserves the openness of the land registry while simultaneously strengthening the protection of property owners. "It responds to the new challenges of the digital age, strengthens the protection of personal data, limits its misuse, and enhances the security of legal relationships regarding real estate," stated the minister, noting that the aim of the amendment is for the land registry to continue serving the public as a reliable and transparent tool that provides certainty in matters of ownership, not as a space for uncontrolled use of data. am