Norway and Russia Sign Bilateral Agreement on ENC Harmonisation and Quality
The Head Department of Navigation and Oceanography of the Russian Federation (HDNO) and the Norwegian Hydrographic Service (NHS) have signed Annex 10 on quality assurance and validation of official electronic navigational charts (ENCs) to the bilateral agreement between HDNO and NHS of 2003. This cooperation deal is intended to enhance quality and harmonisation, and to avoid duplication of work on Russian and Norwegian ENCs. It builds on a bilateral HDNO-NHS agreement from 2003, which involved an exchange of products, data, materials and services in the field of hydrography and oceanography, as well as a sharing of expertise. The HDNO and the NHS will work closely together on the development of ENCs for the Barents Sea, the Baltic and other relevant areas, based on the experiences and services available in both organisations. Both organisations operate fit-for-purpose and cost-effective ENC production with proven technology and infrastructure, and will actively promote and share information with each other. Having signed this Annex 10, HDNO will be able to participate in the meeting of the regional ENC coordinating centre (RENC) operated by the NHS. This centre consists of 11 member nations.
