The Bureau was not able to examine the eventual impact of infrastructural works in the River Douro on the World Heritage values of Porto, due to the lack of response from the State Party to enquiries made by the Secretariat.
The Bureau requested the State Party to submit detailed information and an assessment of the impact of the works on the World Heritage site by 15 September 1998 for examination by the Bureau at its twenty-second extraordinary session.
The Bureau urged States Parties to respond in due time to Secretariat’s requests for information which would greatly facilitate the work of the Secretariat and the Bureau.
At a later stage during the examination of the state of conservation reports, the Observer of Portugal informed the Bureau that the works at the marina in Angra do Heroismo had been interrupted until the 17th century shipwrecks have been recovered. The legislation adopted by the regional authorities specifically covered the protection of the historic site of Angra. On the Historic Centre of Porto, he informed the Bureau that there was indeed an infrastructural project but that no works were being undertaken yet and that, even so, these would not affect the values of the site. The Bureau took note of his intervention.