ANAC and IATA discuss principles and best practices of Responsive Regulation

The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) held on November 24, the first webinar of the Responsive Regulation Journeys – a series of digital events that addressed issues and paths for a more responsive and collaborative regulation in Brazilian aviation.

The event, open to the public, was aimed primarily at the aviation market and industry and was attended by representatives of both institutions. The goal was to discuss aspects of regulation in global policy and how, in Brazil, it will be possible to progressively improve this process.

In this first webinar, moderated by the director of external relations of IATA Brazil, Marcelo Pedroso, key concepts of regulatory policy and governance were addressed. The next ones, scheduled for March and April 2022, will bring implementations of policies already practiced worldwide, analyzing not only the Brazilian reality, but also approaching international policy models, which serve as examples of good practices.

The event was opened by directors Ricardo Catanant, from ANAC, and Dany Oliveira, from IATA in Brazil. On behalf of ANAC, Catanant thanked IATA for the partnership and reinforced that, for good regulation, it is essential that civil aviation authorities have an attitude of building a relationship of trust and regularity with regulated entities: “Events of this nature are excellent opportunities to stimulate this cooperation between the various actors of the system, especially when it comes to issues related to promoting the sustainable and safe development of civil aviation”.

Representing IATA, Director Dany Oliveira said that a modern and effective regulatory model allows regulatory agencies to seek alternatives for more responsive and less prescriptive standards, optimizing the environment not only for the regulated, but for society as a whole. He also added that “IATA recognizes ANAC’s performance, which has been guiding the principles of smart regulation, responsive regulation and intense dialogue with the productive sector, always achieved through a transparent, objective and constructive process”.

Next, IATA’s deputy director of external affairs, James Wiltshire, shared IATA’s experiences with other countries and also reinforced the importance of the dialogue between the regulated sector and the regulatory body. He addressed the objectives of regulation and the regulatory cycles, as well as the possibilities of applying a risk-based regulation and the main foundations for the formulation of effective policies, following the guidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

For Wiltshire, the idea of responsive regulation is to find an alternative to command and control and an innovation that creates a construct and approach to the free market and actually has a relevant societal impact. “Responsive regulation is like a tool in different ways that generates trust and transparency with popular support, that has policies that are not only well done but also well supported,” he said.

James also highlighted the importance of culture change – both on the part of the regulated and the regulator – to enable the development and implementation of new forms of regulation. In his conception, to achieve this result it is fundamental to create a line of constructive engagement.

In the event’s conclusion, Dany Oliveira addressed how Brazil stands in relation to other countries through an analysis of the competitive profile of the sector in the country, compared to other 62 countries: “Regulatory quality is important to analyze the gaps that still exist and how it is possible to get there. Brazil is fully capable of quadrupling the size of its airline market as long as it removes the anvils of inefficiency and thus gets closer and closer to the best international practices”.

The second and third parts of the Responsive Regulation Journeys series are scheduled to take place in March and April 2022.

Watch the full webinar (in English).

ANAC Communications Office