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At the Cabinet meeting on March 4 of this year, amendments to the Regulations on the Assessment of Construction Specialists’ Competence and the Supervision of Independent Practice were approved. These changes significantly reduce the administrative burden, promote competition, and thereby support the provision of higher-quality services.
Going forward, construction experts will no longer be required to meet the minimum requirements for independent practice and professional development in multiple fields; they will only need to do so in their primary field or area of activity. Meanwhile, the State Construction Control Bureau will carry out in-depth inspections, review complaints, and make decisions regarding changes to the expert’s primary activity status. Additionally, instead of checking 1% of specialists in each area of activity, in-depth inspections will now cover 1% of all construction specialists in total—allowing the competence assessment body to concentrate efforts on problematic sectors receiving the most complaints.
The competence of bridge construction specialists has been expanded to include related structures from the fields of port and marine hydraulic structures, as well as other hydraulic structures—specifically, quay walls with various types of shore reinforcement and inland pier structures of the trestle type. This includes tasks such as design, project and construction expertise, construction management, and supervision.
The amendments also introduce a statute of limitations for disciplinary proceedings against construction specialists: competence assessment bodies will no longer review complaints about violations that occurred more than 10 years before the complaint was filed. Given that construction processes are lengthy and errors made during earlier phases may only become apparent during construction or use, this provides sufficient time to identify issues—such as those stemming from project design. The statute of limitations was deemed necessary, as handling disciplinary cases over very old violations would be disproportionate. A specialist's skills and actions may have changed significantly over time, making penalties ineffective in achieving their purpose.
Additionally, the fee for initial competence assessment has been increased from €150 to €250. A new fee of €130 will be introduced for repeat assessments if a candidate fails the competence test on the first attempt. However, the annual supervision fee will not apply to individuals holding an architecture or construction practice certificate for any period during which they serve as a construction inspector without engaging in independent practice.