Portugal to propose seismic safety rules for existing buildings by late September

Portugal's government plans to present new rules on seismic safety for existing buildings by the end of September, with the Algarve, Alentejo Litoral, Lisbon and Tagus Valley, and the Azores identified as the most vulnerable areas. The framework, developed with the LNEC engineering institute, will assess, classify and mitigate seismic risk in buildings, accounting for regional differences in hazard levels. Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz also announced a permanent monitoring mechanism for bridges and slopes, following an LNEC audit that carried out 53 inspections after severe weather. Related resilience measures total over 1.1 billion euros.