The new Code of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and Construction — what changes from 2026

On 10 August 2026, Law no. 169/2026 on the Code of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and Construction was published in Romania's Official Gazette no. 661, Part I. The Code comes into force 15 days after publication, so it already applies. It is the broadest legislative reform in the field since 1991: a single act replaces Law 50/1991, Law 350/2001 and part of Law 10/1995.

Which acts are repealed

From its entry into force, the Code repeals:

• Law no. 350/2001 on spatial planning and urbanism
• Law no. 50/1991 on permits for construction works
• art. 1-9, 11-40 and 42-44 of Law no. 10/1995 on quality in construction (the rest of Law 10/1995 remains in force)
• Ministerial Orders no. 233/2016 and no. 839/2009 (the implementing rules)

The related technical regulations (acceptance of works, technical checking and expert assessment, state quality control) remain valid until they are explicitly amended by separate acts.

What changes, in brief

We have covered each topic in a separate article, so you can go straight to what interests you:

• Consequence classes CC1-CC4 replace the importance categories — the A/B/C/D system disappears, in line with SR EN 1990. Relevant for any structural design or technical expert report.
• The urban planning certificate — 5 new types, new deadlines — the generic urban planning certificate disappears, replaced by distinct types with their own issuing deadlines.
• The building permit — deadlines, the National One-Stop Shop, emergency procedure — the general deadline stays at 30 days, but there is a 7-working-day emergency option and digital filing.
• General urban plans (PUG) and the transitional regime — the 3-year deadline for updating old general urban plans and what happens to procedures already under way.

See also the full text and official resources of the law.

What it means in practice for your project

For an extension, strengthening or new-build project in Negrești and the surrounding area, during the transition period we expect:

• the consequence class (CC1-CC4) to be confirmed from the design brief stage, instead of the old importance category
• possible administrative delays at town halls until the integrated approval committees are up and running and internal procedures are adapted
• the option to request a building permit under the emergency procedure, for a fee, for projects with tight deadlines
• the need for an electronic signature to file documents digitally, as the National One-Stop Shop becomes operational

The implementing rules and the complete technical annexes are still to be published. We update the articles as they appear.