Romania’s new planning and construction code: what investors need to re-check

Romania’s new Spatial Planning, Urban Planning and Construction Code, Law 169/2026, entered into force on 25 August 2026 after publication in the Official Gazette on 10 August. The code contains 584 articles and replaces the core framework previously spread across Law 50/1991 on construction authorisation and Law 350/2001 on spatial and urban planning. For property investors, the practical point is not simply that the legislation has been consolidated. The rules now need to be reflected in land and project due diligence, permitting assumptions, transaction conditions and development budgets.

Legal analyses published after adoption highlight integrated approvals, digitalisation, traceability across planning and construction stages, and changes that can affect responsibilities between developers, designers and contractors. Investors considering development land should therefore re-check whether earlier planning opinions, permit timelines and contractual conditions still match the new framework.

This is not a claim that every project becomes easier or faster. The impact depends on the site, local planning documents, project stage and implementing practice. The immediate investor task is to update due-diligence checklists and obtain project-specific Romanian legal advice before relying on pre-August permitting assumptions.