Law no. 246/2022 on metropolitan areas has been adopted as part of the objectives adopted by Romania under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The law, in force as of 28 July 2022, establishes the legal framework for the establishment and functioning of “metropolitan areas”.
The purpose of establishing metropolitan areas is to promote the coherent and sustainable development of integrated urban and rural territorial areas in the vicinity of the capital city, county capitals, and other municipalities. Mutual relations of influence will be established within these areas in the fields of communications, the economic, social, and cultural sectors, and urban infrastructure. In other words, municipalities will be able to form affiliations within metropolitan areas.
Each metropolitan area has its own governing bodies: the general assembly (in which the mayors represent the associated localities), the board of directors (which implements the decisions of the general assembly), and the board of auditors. Affiliation in metropolitan areas is purely voluntary and existing metropolitan areas may retain their current boundaries.
Source: Law no. 246/2022 on metropolitan areas and the amendment and supplementation of various acts, as published in the Official Gazette, Part I, no. 745, of 25 July 2022.