The 26th ordinary annual Meeting of the PRIMAR Advisory Committee (PAC) (more information about PRIMAR is given below) was held in Stavanger (Norway) from 2 to 4 October 2019. The meeting was hosted by the Norwegian Hydrographic Office. Croatia was represented by Director Vinka Kolić, head of delegation, and Assistant Director for International and EU Affairs Željko Bradarić, member of delegation.
The agenda of the two-day meeting focused on the strategic, technical, financial and administrative issues of PRIMAR's work for the period since the 25th session of the PAC.
The thematic group of technical issues presented improvements in the existing PRIMAR services and functionalities available to PRIMAR members. In particular, it analysed the progress made in the multiannual project (2018-2023) for capacity building and PRIMAR functionality regarding the transition to a new generation of electronic navigational charts (ENC) according to IHO standard S-101. It was concluded that the planned activities for 2019 were going according to plan and the identified risks were analyzed and updated. The activity plan and financial plan of the project for 2020 were approved. The possibility of providing certain PRIMAR services to other interested hydrographic offices and organizations was also considered.
In a two-day work of the Committee, Croatia once more proved to be a proactive member, participating in discussions on all items of a comprehensive agenda.
In a series of bilateral meetings with representatives of the PRIMAR members, the PRIMAR management, IHO representative and the representative of the host, opinions were exchanged on the meeting topics and on other issues from the daily work of hydrographic offices.
About PRIMAR
PRIMAR is one of the world’s three regional ENC coordinating centres (RENC), operated in accordance with the WEND (Worldwide ENC Database) principles established by the IHO resolution. Organizationally, PRIMAR represents an intergovernmental multilateral cooperation of its full members (more about PRIMAR at www.primar.org).
PRIMAR’s principal aim is to ensure a harmonized quality level of ENCs from different producer nations and make them available to end users on ships and other onshore and onboard services on a 24/7 basis. PRIMAR is a non-profit organization, investing the proceeds of the sale of ENCs in the maintenance of existing and development of new services and functionalities. In the context of technological solutions and many services which it provides, PRIMAR has been recognized as a leading RENC.
Croatia, as a long-standing full member of PRIMAR (since 25 October 2005), besides using PRIMAR’s tools and services to ensure highest quality of its ENCs (currently 232 ENC cells) and making them available to end users through PRIMAR, actively participates in the work of PRIMAR’s bodies and working groups from the first day. Croatia hosted the meeting of the PAC twice, last in November 2014.