The sector discusses the impacts of PL 2159/2021, pressures on cabotage, and solutions to unlock major enterprises during Navalshore 2025
The potential changes brought by Bill 2159/2021 regarding environmental licensing rules reignite the debate on the challenges faced by the maritime industry in light of the advancement of large infrastructure projects. This topic will be discussed in the panel "Impasses and Solutions in Environmental Licensing for Infrastructure Projects – How Major Projects Impact the Maritime Industry," which is part of the program for the Navalshore 2025 Conference - Maritime Industry Fair and Conference, scheduled for August 19-21 at Expo Rio Cidade Nova in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The meeting will feature Luís Fernando Resano, Executive Director of the Brazilian Association of Cabotage Shipowners (ABAC), and lawyer Julia Touriño, an Environmental Law specialist at Kincaid | Mendes Vianna Advogados. Both will provide complementary views on the regulatory landscape, operational challenges, and possible pathways for more efficient and legally sound licensing. Also confirmed for the panel are federal prosecutor Sérgio Gardenghi Siuama from the 4th Coordination and Review Unit (Environment and Cultural Heritage) of the Federal Public Ministry; Itagyba Alvarenga Neto, General Coordinator of Environmental Licensing for Marine and Coastal Enterprises at the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA); and Fábio Vasconcellos, Director of the Brazilian Association for the Development of Inland Navigation (ABANI). The panel will take place on the 20th, starting at 2 p.m.
According to Resano, projects like Ferrogrão and new hydro-transport concessions have the potential to transform national logistics by increasing cargo flow through the Northern Arc. “These initiatives directly impact navigation, both through increased port activity and the need for new vessels, such as barges and pushers, which revitalizes demand in the naval sector,” he explains. However, they reveal serious infrastructure limitations for cabotage: “Currently, we operate ports at or beyond their ideal capacity. The lack of terminals leads to waiting lines of ships, which consume more fuel, emit more greenhouse gases, and delay operations,” he points out. “Infrastructure is costly. But having no infrastructure is even more expensive,” he concludes.
In the regulatory field, Resano evaluates that the progress of PL 2159/2021 generates both expectations and concerns. “Our biggest worry with the project lies in dredging issues. We need to delve deeper and simplify these procedures because it is unacceptable for ports to have their draft reduced due to lack of dredging, impacting the entire logistics, whether domestic or international.” He highlights that, in the case of cabotage, shipowners still face significant barriers, such as overlapping requirements and lack of standardization among environmental agencies.
Complementing this view, Julia Touriño argues that environmental legal action needs to be integrated from the project conception phase, contributing to better risk assessment and the selection of more viable locational alternatives. “Even an initial analysis, albeit at a high level, allows for the identification of potential impacts on conservation units, traditional communities, or other sensitive areas, helping to structure the project in a more optimized manner,” she states. She notes that while licensing is often seen as a hindrance, it represents an important legal and environmental guarantee for entrepreneurs.
Regarding PL 2159/2021, the lawyer notes that the text still generates legal uncertainty. “Until the new legislation comes into effect and there is clarity on which provisions will be sanctioned or challenged, we remain in a scenario of uncertainties,” she states. For her, the moment is one of caution, as the discussion has generated tension even among legal experts in the field. “When there is consensus among scholars about the fragility of certain points, it is a strong signal that these provisions may be challenged in court,” she observes.
In the lawyer's assessment, more than legislative changes, progress towards more efficient licensing requires closer collaboration among the involved sectors. She believes that the conference will be an opportunity to promote this alignment among companies, government, and civil society. “The presence of representatives from IBAMA, the Public Ministry, and private operators on the same panel allows for qualified and practical debate on possible pathways,” she concludes. Resano also considers that Navalshore is an opportunity to foster constructive dialogue among the government, companies, experts, and society. “It is essential that the impacted sectors participate in building balanced and viable solutions,” he concludes.
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Event:
Navalshore - Maritime Industry Fair and Conference
Date: August 19 to 21, 2025
Location: Expo Rio Cidade Nova (formerly Expo Mag) – Rua Beatriz Larragoiti Lucas, s/n, Cidade Nova – Rio de Janeiro – RJ –Brazil
Hours: 1 PM to 8 PM
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Conference - August 20, 2025
2 PM | Panel: Impasses and Solutions in Environmental Licensing for Infrastructure Projects - How Major Projects Impact the Maritime Industry
PANELISTS
Sérgio Gardenghi Siuama
Federal Prosecutor - 4th Coordination and Review Unit (Environment and Cultural Heritage) of the Federal Public Ministry
Itagyba Alvarenga Neto
General Coordinator of Environmental Licensing for Marine and Coastal Enterprises at IBAMA
Julia Touriño
Senior Environmental Lawyer at Kincaid | Mendes Vianna Advogados
Luís Fernando Resano
Executive Director of the Brazilian Association of Cabotage Shipowners (ABAC)
Fábio Vasconcellos
Director of the Brazilian Association for the Development of Inland Navigation (ABANI)
Moderator
Fabrine Hartog Soares
Senior Lawyer at Kincaid | Mendes Vianna Advogados
Navalshore Press Office
Karla Rúbia - +55 21 99943-0344
Giselli Nichols - +55 21 97119-5901
CENTRO DE CONVENÇÕES RIO CIDADE NOVA
RUA BEATRIZ LARRAGOITI LUCAS, S/N
CIDADE NOVA | RIO DE JANEIRO | RJ | BRASIL