The changing of the economic, social and political system in Romania brought the need of a significant shift in spatial planning paradigm. Between 1990 and 2005 it became clear gradually that the spatial plans, as they were conceived, are not anymore able to really support a structured approached of spatial development. The main problems identified are: the lack of strategic dimension of spatial (territorial) development plans; the modest cooperation among sectoral ministries and other national relevant bodies in order to organize and integrate national public investments programs at the national scale; the lack of awareness of sectoral and territorial actors regarding their potential and responsibilities in territorial development; the lack of core technical and legal tools in territorial planning. Few consequences of the above situation are: the lack of the vision for Romania’s territorial development at the national level and as a state member of the EU; there are no in place yet national policies, based on intersectoral cooperation, that could be implemented by sectoral policies, and could provide background for national public investments programs, for strategic documents that substantiate the use of EU funds; very few institutions use the spatial plans as instruments in the process of planning specific issues with territorial impact and relevance.In 2005, the former Ministry Delegate for Spatial Planning, Public Works and Constructions (within the Ministry of Transport, Constructions and Tourism), currently Ministry of Development, Public Works and Housing (MDPWH), initiated a process of the reform in spatial planning.The paper presents: a) the reform process and design, its components and main directions for action, and b) the strategic document which takes the role of trigger of the reform process, relevant steps in its development and current stage of elaboration.