The ANP published an ordinance yesterday (July 23) in the Federal Official Gazette (DOU) appointing Patricia Baran — a public servant and the current Superintendent of Infrastructure and Logistics — to serve as interim Director of Directorate 4, starting July 25.

Since the end of Director Cláudio Jorge de Souza’s term — who held the Directorate 4 position until December 22, 2023 — no new fixed-term director has been approved by the Federal Senate to fill the role.

In situations like this, legislation provides that vacant director roles at federal regulatory agencies must be filled temporarily by agency staff until a new director is officially appointed. These interim directors may serve for up to 180 days and are selected from a three-person shortlist published in a presidential decree.

From the end of Cláudio Jorge de Souza’s term until January 31, 2024, ANP’s Superintendent of Operational Safety, Luiz Henrique Bispo, served as interim director for Directorate 4. He was part of the previous shortlist, which is no longer valid.

With the publication of a new shortlist, Patricia Baran — the first name on the list — previously served as interim director of Directorate 4 from February 1 to July 29, 2024. She was succeeded by Bruno Caselli, the second on the list and Superintendent of Government Take, whose 180-day term ended on January 25. Following him, on January 26, Mariana Cavadinha, Superintendent of Development and Production, took over, also for a 180-day term.

According to Law No. 9,986/2000, as amended by the General Law on Regulatory Agencies (Law No. 13,848/2019), three names must be selected from among the agency’s senior staff (those holding positions such as superintendent, general manager, or equivalent) to act as interim directors in the event of a vacancy. For each vacant position, the agency must submit three candidates for selection and appointment by the President of the Republic.