Electronic Chart Committee (ECC)
Task Group 2: ENC Production and Distribution
Chairman: Capitan de Corbeta , Jaime Huesca Ortiz (Mexico)

Purpose
Terms of Reference

A table listing available ENCs with producers/dates of availability is shown below.

Please select the chart(s) of your choice either from the diagram above or from the list at right. Depending on the ENCs of your choice and the country of origin, this web site will direct you either to a source where the ENCs can be downloaded directly, or to a point of contact where the appropriate request can be made.

(Note: you may be directed to multiple locations for ENCs depending on the countries of origin of the charts selected.)

Purpose

The primary purpose of this task group is to address the lack of ENCs covering major ports and shipping routes of the MACHC region, by promoting ENC production by national hydrographic offices and facilitating ENC distribution, thereby contributing to improved maritime and environmental safety.

As a result, through an agreement among the Members of the Commission, small-scale ENCs of the region depicted in the graphic are made available at no cost from this web site.

These ENCs are based on the small-scale INT charts of the region. But because ENCs are based on non-overlapping cells, the limits of the INT charts have been adjusted accordingly.

Other Task Group 2 objectives include the following tasks:

• Take inventory of ports and routes in the MACHC Region
• Identify ENC production responsibilities along the selected routes
• Prepare an action plan and milestones
• Recommend options for distribution of ENCs to the shipping market
• Recommend and, where appropriate, establish cooperative arrangements for ENC production, quality assurance and maintenance
• Address training needs
• Provide a report at each meeting of the ECC

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Terms of Reference

Background:

• At its meeting of 5 November 2002, the Electronic Chart Committe (ECC) of the renamed MesoAmerican-Caribbean Hydrographic Commission (ex CGMHC) identified the need to both build up national capacity in hydrographic offices and to speed up ENC coverage of the region, particularly along major shipping routes.
• The ECC decided to form two task groups to address these needs:
  • Task Group 1 – Meso-American Pilot Area Task Group to improve capacity building of coastal state hydrographic offices within a designated pilot area.
  • Task Group 2 – ENC Production and Distribution Task Group to improve ENC coverage of the entire region. (These Terms of Reference are for Task Group 2 only).
• Task Group 2 was tasked with taking forward the primary aims of the Electronic Chart Implementation Project, a major component of the Project.

Tasks:

• The Task Group will undertake the following tasks:
  • Select and prioritize routes for ENC production using objective criteria (by March 2003)
  • Identify ENC production responsibilities along the selected routes
  • Prepare an action plan and milestones
  • Recommend options for distribution of ENCs to the shipping market
  • Recommend and, where appropriate, establish cooperative arrangements for ENC production, quality assurance and maintenance
  • Provide a report to each meeting of the ECC

Membership:

• The Task Group will initially be chaired by a national representative of Mexico. The Chairman will be responsible for providing secretariat support to the Task Group.
• Membership is open to all members of the MACHC. Inaugural members are Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Trinidad, UK, US (NOAA) and Venezuela.

Procedures:

• All members of the task group are expected and encouraged to participate fully in the work of the group.
• Members will seek to share experience and expertise whenever possible.
• The work of the Task Group shall mainly be carried out by correspondence, preferably by email.
• The Task Group shall generally meet in conjunction with meetings of the Electronic Chart Committee of the MACHC. The Chairman may call intercessional meetings as necessary or at the request of the majority of participants.
• Meetings shall generally be conducted in English, unless all the participants agree otherwise. Minutes shall be produced in English.
• Minutes shall be produced and distributed within 30 days of the end of each meeting.
• Amendments to these terms of reference can be made at any time but must be approved by the chairman of the Electronic Chart Committee.

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