The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 30 COM 7B.24, adopted at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006),
3. Regrets that the States Parties of the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine did not provide a report as requested by the World Heritage Committee at its 30th session, and also regrets that the State Party of Ukraine did not keep the World Heritage Centre and IUCN informed about the reopening of navigation routes, any actual or potential impacts on the Danube Delta World Heritage property, and the implementation of proposed mitigation measures;
4. Notes that the development of the Bystroe Canal does not conform to the Espoo Convention and that concerns have been raised through the Bern, Ramsar, Water and Aarhus Conventions on impacts associated with the canal;
5. Notes with concern that the European Union has a variety of economic and environmental projects in the River Basin of the Danube that are not harmonized or coordinated with the environmental requirements for the protection of the Danube Delta;
6. Urges the State Party of Romania to implement the recommendations and agreed actions of the Odessa Conference of 2006, and in particular to strengthen cooperation with the States Parties of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova;
7. Requeststhe State Party of Romania to finalise, adopt and implement the following:
a) rules for navigation in the Danube Delta;
b) guidelines on architecture and building activities in the Danube Delta; and include mitigation measures for hydrological impacts from construction in these guidelines;
c) tourism Master Plan, while making every effort to ensure the protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;
d) mechanism for transboundary cooperation on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of projects affecting the Delta;
8. Also requeststhe State Party of Ukraine to provide regular updates on the status of the Bystroe Canal project;
9. Further requests the State Party of Romania to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2009, a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property, including a copy of the River Basin Management Plan for the Danube Delta and the tourism plan for the property, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 33rd session in 2009.