At its meeting on 22 September, the Cabinet of Ministers approved amendments proposed by the Ministry of Economics to the Cabinet Regulations “General Construction Regulations” and “Building Construction Regulations”, introducing the possibility of implementing a construction project in separate stages of construction works – the so-called “zero cycle”. The aim of the amendments is to make the construction process more flexible and, in certain cases, allow construction works to begin earlier, thereby reducing the overall construction period and enabling buildings to be commissioned sooner.

The “zero cycle” will allow certain construction works to begin without waiting for the entire design process related to the specific construction project to be fully completed. At the same time, the overall amount of required design documentation will not be reduced, nor will any of the administrative procedures required during the construction process be abolished. The main benefit is greater flexibility – certain works will be able to start earlier, reducing downtime between the design and construction stages.

“By introducing the ‘zero cycle’, we are making the construction process more flexible and enabling works to begin sooner without compromising control over construction quality and safety. This means a shorter overall construction period and the possibility of putting a building to its intended use sooner,” emphasises Minister of Economics Viktors Valainis.

Starting construction works earlier may allow a building to be commissioned sooner and, consequently, enable the invested funds to be recovered more quickly. For example, putting a 5,000-square-metre warehouse into operation one month earlier, assuming a monthly rental rate of EUR 10 per square metre, could potentially generate EUR 50,000 in revenue. If 500,000 square metres are built annually in this segment, the potential benefit from earlier commissioning could reach EUR 5 million. The actual benefit will depend on the financing and use model of each individual project.

To enable the new approach to be applied in practice, a new intermediate design stage – the developed conceptual design – will be introduced in the General Construction Regulations. This will allow the spatial layout and structural design of a building, as well as its architectural and technological solutions, to be developed in greater detail before proceeding to the subsequent design stages. Meanwhile, the minimum composition building design will in future be prepared at the project concept stage, helping to reduce the cost of its preparation.

Where construction works are carried out in stages, the expert examination procedure for Group 3 buildings will also be clarified. Each stage of construction works will be subject to an expert examination to the mandatory extent, including with regard to mechanical strength and stability, as well as fire safety.

At the same time, the amendments are intended to reduce the administrative burden by clarifying the cases in which opinions from the Health Inspectorate and the State Fire and Rescue Service are required during the construction process. In certain cases, such opinions will no longer be necessary, including for facilities that are not subject to supervision by the Health Inspectorate, as well as for certain groups of residential premises.

The amendments will also further advance the digitalisation of the construction process. A construction notification is intended to be used in certain cases for the new construction or placement of Group 1 residential buildings, auxiliary buildings, non-residential agricultural buildings and small structures on land owned by the person carrying out the construction.

The “zero cycle” regulation will enter into force on 1 March 2027, taking into account the necessary adjustments to the Construction Information System. The provisions concerning the use of a construction notification for the construction of a new building on one’s own land will enter into force on 8 January 2027, while the remaining amendments will take effect on 1 October 2026.