
In Moldova will appear a new Code on Urban Planning and Construction.
This was announced by the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spinu, noting that he will present this document to parliament tomorrow, which is designed to solve many significant problems associated with legislation in this area, and will regulate all related areas - from territory development, permitting and implementation of design and construction work - to quality control of work. He recalled that construction involves infrastructure projects, jobs, business investments, warehouses, office space or industrial zones. “Moreover, the way we live our lives depends on construction, whether we have a private house or an apartment in a multi-storey building. Regardless of the type of house, we all want to have a convenient entrance without traffic jams, playgrounds for our children, a green area around the house, a kindergarten, a school and shops nearby,” the minister emphasized. According to him, in this regard, the new Code on Urban Planning and Construction will contain a number of new important provisions. In particular, one-story houses in rural areas and gardening associations will finally be able to be registered with the only condition that the owner declares, on his own responsibility, that they comply with all safety regulations and repair work is carried out in accordance with the code. The procedure for issuing a town planning certificate and a construction/demolition permit will also be simplified for settlements with a population of up to 3 thousand inhabitants. The simplified procedure will be available to 679 settlements with a population of about 1.5 million people. The concept of obtaining building permits based on the principle of acquiescence, which has led to a number of violations in this area, will be abolished. A town planning certificate for a project will be optional if the validity period of town planning and land management documentation does not exceed 10 years; in settlements where town planning documentation is being updated, individuals or legal entities will not be required to obtain a town planning certificate. At the same time, an urban planning certificate and a permit for the construction/demolition of objects declared to be publicly useful and of national interest will be issued by the establishment of a central specialized body involved in the implementation of state policies in the field of urban planning and construction. Also, the new Town Planning and Construction Code will contain clear provisions regarding the status, duties and responsibilities of specialists in this field to comply with European standards. Along with this, for the first time in Moldova, a State Register of Companies in the field of urban planning and construction will be created, which will be maintained by the National Technical Supervision Inspectorate. In addition, the Code will provide for an expansion of the list of construction works, the implementation of which can be carried out without a town planning certificate and without a building permit. For the first time, an entire chapter of the code will be dedicated to the intervention of state and local public administration in measures to reduce seismic risk in existing structures, as well as the rehabilitation and modernization of buildings. The new Town Planning and Construction Code provides for the rehabilitation and thermal modernization of buildings and associated structures, which is an integral part of the state's energy policy and will be implemented through national programs harmonized with European requirements for energy efficiency, environmental protection and sustainable development. Andrei Spinu emphasized that the development of the new Code on Urban Planning and Construction is a joint work of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development and the parliamentary team. The document will be submitted to the Parliament of Moldova for approval. // 18.10.2023 — InfoMarket.