On July 17, 2023, the President of Belarus signed the Code on Architectural, Urban Planning, and Construction Activities. This code, initiated back in 2017, was developed to systematise the norms of construction legislation. The new document replaces the provisions of Law No. 300-Z of July 5, 2004, with a similar title, and integrates the norms of several Presidential edicts and Government resolutions. The Code consists of two parts (General and Special), 28 chapters, and 128 articles.
The Code has further specified architectural, urban planning, and construction activities:
- Architectural activities encompass the provision of expert and advisory services, analysis of initial data and task preparation, development of pre-design (pre-investment) documentation, etc. (Article 55 of the Code).
- Urban planning activities involve territorial planning, zoning, and development, as well as the objects' placement.
- Construction activities encompass surveying, commissioning, engineering services, erection, reconstruction, modernisation, object repair, and other works (Article 78 of the Code).
The Code incorporates norms that regulate key aspects of entities' activities, including certifying specialists, approving production control systems, the procedure for accepting objects for operation and the authority of the chief architect of the region, city, district and district within a city.
A significant innovation will be the establishment of a unified information system in the construction sector, including an urban cadastre, the state information system "State Construction Portal", a republican fund of design documentation, and a republican database of analogous objects. These resources contain information obtained during the coordination of pre-design and design activities, enabling tracking of construction project statuses.
The Code on Architectural, Urban Planning, and Construction Activities will come into effect on July 23, 2024. Within the year, state authorities will align their acts with the new Code.
For the full text of the Code, please follow this link
Additionally, we recommend reviewing the comments provided by the Ministry of Architecture and Construction of the Republic of Belarus: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
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