Our team

Gabriella CAMARSA

Gabriella Camarsa is the Reference Person for LIFE-Environment projects in the external Communications Team for the LIFE programme. She has overall responsibility for the identification and dissemination of successful LIFE-Environment projects. Her tasks include identifying opportunities for bringing projects and other stakeholders together, establishing thematic events and networks of ongoing LIFE projects, and facilitating thematic workshops. Gabriella started her career at the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei as a researcher conducting two projects on Sustainable Tourism and Integrated Coastal Zone Management. She moved on to become Project Manager  for CAPLE (Consulenza e Assistenza sui Programmi e Legislazione Europea) where she was responsible for preparing project proposals subject to EU financing, writing  feasibility studies in the environmental field and giving advice on EMAS registration and ISO 14001 certification. Before joining the AEIDL team in April 2009, she was working as a Senior consultant for the CORDIS project on the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technical Development after having done a stage at the Commission’s DG-Environment. Gabriella has a degree in “International and European Law” with a thesis on “Organic farming and GMOs: in between the precautionary principle and risk assessment” and a Masters degree in “Environmental Management and Control.

 Nationalities: British and Italian.

Languages: Italian and English (mother tongue), French and Greek.

Maylis CAMPBELL

Maylis has dual British and Irish nationality and joined AEIDL in 1995 as editor of the Euclide weekly newsletter (synopsis of local development news from the European institutions of interest to local and regional authorities, development networks, etc.). She also oversees relations between AEIDL and its contacts in the U.K. (development agencies, national and regional authorities, etc.). In the framework of the LEADER European Observatory, managed by AEIDL between 1996 and 2001, she was responsible for editing and updating the “Community action programmes and rural development” Directory which presented, in the form of factsheets, all European measures and programmes of interest to the rural actors.

She currently devotes most of her energies to the LIFE programme communication. Before joining our team, Maylis spent two years working for the Euro Info Centre for the Champagne region and the Economic Development Agency for the department of Aube. She already knew Brussels, however, as she previously worked as an information agent for the Brussels Motoring Federation.

Maylis has a master’s degree in tourism (Strathclyde University, Glasgow) and a degree in French and music (Queens University, Belfast).

Languages: English (mother tongue), French.

Interests, research fields: tourism and regional development in the EU; the condition of immigrant women; classical and traditional music (Maylis plays the alto violin); hiking.

Christine CHARLIER

Christine has managed AEIDL’s publication assignments since 1992. She coordinates the various stages: conception, translation (into up to 18 languages), rereading, search for photographs and illustrations, layout, photoengraving and printing; she also follows up suppliers and external providers of publishing services.

Christine has over 15 years of professional experience in this field and before joining AEIDL exercised similar functions with an events organisation company, a graphics studio and humanitarian organisation.

Languages: French (mother tongue), English.

Interests: humanitarian action; art in all its forms; painting, fashion, decoration, etc.

Thomas CHULLIKAL

Thomas joined the AEIDL team in 2006 as a webmaster and Co-ordinator for the European Citizens’ Panel. He has created the Citizens’ Panel website and is responsible for its development and maintenance since. He is also responsible for the setting up of the European Citizens’ Panel that was held in Louvain-La-Neuve from the 31/03 until 02/04.

Having a background in social and economical politics, he is currently undergoing a university certificate in “mental health in social context”.

Interests: Sociology, sustainable development, globalisation issues. Arts and design, opera and music in general, cooking, Taekwondo.

Languages: French (mother tongue), English, Italian.

Ana Mar

Eveline DURIEUX Eveline started with AEIDL in 1992 as head of the documentation department after previous experience in the organisation and computerisation of specialist libraries/documentation centres. She coordinates database maintenance, the preparation of data for regular transfer to various web sites, and documentary activities. Specialised in the creation of documentary systems, she compiled the thematic indexes for the LEADER I group directory and for the RURALVOC thesaurus. She was a member of the LEADER “Environment” and “Innovation” thematic working groups and helped produce the LEADER II “Educational File”. She subsequently participated in the mid-term evaluation of the LEADER+ programme for France and Wallonia and in the “Annoncer la Couleur" programme for Belgian Development Co-operation. She is a regular contributor to the project database section of the LIFE programme web site. A qualified librarian, Eveline also holds a third cycle degree (DES) in Environmental Management (Université Libre de Bruxelles). Languages: French (mother tongue), English and German. Interests, research fields: agricultural biodiversity and ecological habitat; linguistics; theatre; ceramics.

Jon ELDRIGE Jon currently writes about LIFE Programmes  for AEIDL and contributes interviews and destination reports to Headquarters magazine. He also monitors developments in the financial services sector for Fleishman Hillard.  He is a former editor of the AmCham Business Journalm the quarterly journal of AmCham Belgium and was the Web Editor of the European Voice.  He has contribute to a wide range of publications including Financial Times Europe, Wall Street Journal Europe, TimeOut Guides, The Bulletin and Expatica.  Areas of expertise include the telecommunication and Internet industry, which he used to report on ESN (E-Systems and Networking) and X-SP News. He began his working life in publishing, reading manuscripts for Picador Imprint of Macmillan and then producing editorial copy for the Website of HarperCollins.  He has studied English literature at postgraduate level. He switched to trade publishing, working as an Assistant Editor on a serie of engineering and scientific journals before moving to Brussels in 2000.

Florence GERARD Florence Gérard has more than 30 years of experience in European affairs, in particular in the fields of education, training, employment and gender equality. As a manager of IFAPLAN EUROPS, she has been involved in the Initiatives of the European Social Fund since 1995: as a member of the team assisting the Commission in the implementation of Pillar 1 (employability) and Pillar 4 (equal opportunities) of EQUAL, and previously as co-director of the ADAPT & EMPLOYMENT Technical Assistance Office. She gained her experience in education and training at CEDEFOP (European Centre for the development of vocational training) and applied it to the development of transnationality in the Transition II (school to work) and PETRA programmes. She is currently in charge of the coordination of the activities of AEIDL for the European Social Fund. And she is involved in DevNet, the EEIG set up by AEIDL and Grupo Alba, to provide technical assistance to the FARNET programme. Her career has enabled her to bring together strong organisational skills, deep interest in people, talent for networking and passion for making European policies a reality on the ground. Florence holds a degree in History and Geography and a post-graduate diploma in Political Science.

Jean-Luc JANOT Of dual French and Canadian nationality, Jean-Luc has coordinated AEIDL’s editorial output since 1992. His activities are that of journalist and editor combined: article writing, desk studies, reporting on local development projects, rewriting of texts drafted by third parties, coordinating the content of various publications (magazines, newsletters, directories, technical dossiers, guides, websites, brochures, etc.), liaising with authors (experts, freelance journalists), helping develop communication strategy, conception and selection of publications and communication tools, press relations and close contacts with European Commission officials by attending regular meetings of editorial committees. After having been project leader under AEIDL’s communication contract with the European Commission’s Regional Policy DG between 2002 and 2007, he now coordinates the editorial tasks that the Association has for the RUR@CT and FARNET networks. With journalistic experience acquired in Canada between 1980 and 1990 – on radio as well as in the written press and as journalist and editor – Jean-Luc has a master’s degree in political analysis and a diploma in the teaching of English as a second language, from Quebec. Languages: French (mother tongue), English and German. Interests, research fields: current affairs, socio-economic history and geography; development as a means of creating a fairer and more open society; discovering people and places; music and everything that soothes the spirit.

Toby JOHNSON Toby is a consultant with 28 years' experience as a worker, manager, communicator and policy maker in the SME area, and especially in the worker co-operative movement. He has a wide and deep knowledge of the characteristics and problems of the social economy sector and SMEs throughout Europe as well as a thorough understanding of European Commission policies and procedures (former National Expert and Auxiliary with the Enterprise DG). Toby is the social economy expert for AEIDL under its contract with the Employment DG to provide technical assistance on the Entrepreneurship pillar. Tasks include analysing development partnership programmes and transnational co-operation agreements, preparing and animating workshops and conferences, and writing case studies and thematic reports. Toby also acts as rapporteur for the programme of peer reviews in the social inclusion policy, and is the feature writer for the bimonthly 28-page magazine Euroabstracts, the European Commission’s review of publications, websites etc. of European interest dealing with research and technological development, innovation and enterprise. He has previously edited and written for numerous European Commission and external publications, chiefly in the enterprise, innovation, research and social affairs fields (e.g. ARIES, 3SE Newsletter, Social Agenda, SME Update, Innovation and Technology Transfer, RTD Info, Research Results for SMEs, Eureka News. Languages: English (mother tongue), French, German, Spanish and Dutch.

Wendy JONES Wendy joined AEIDL in September 2004, as an independent journalist/editor responsible for editing publications produced on behalf of the European Commission’s DG-Environment LIFE Programme.  As well as editing the monthly online newsletter, ‘LIFEnews’, she provides regular news updates for the LIFE website – mainly technical concerning environmental innovation. She was also editorial coordinator of ‘Best LIFE-Environment Projects 2004-2005’ and ‘LIFE-Environment 1992-2004: Demonstrating excellence in environmental innovation’ – a study of 12 years of the LIFE-Environment programme. Before this she was European correspondent for ‘Personnel Today’, the UK weekly news magazine for HR and training professionals. At the same time she was part-time editor of the EUbusiness.com news service, which she co-founded in Luxembourg in 1997. The website helped to clarify and to open-up access to information on EU affairs to SMEs. Wendy has written for a host of other publications including: the European Commission's IST Results service (DG Information Society research projects); ‘Innovation & Technology Transfer’ magazine – published for the Commission (the Innovation Directorate of the Enterprise DG) by European Service Network; ‘Media International’; and ‘Strategies Europe’ (published by Reed Elsevier).  She moved to Luxembourg in 1994. Prior to this, she studied Business Studies/Journalism at the London College of Printing and then worked for 11 years as a business editor for UK publisher Reed Business Information (part of the Reed Elsevier international publishing group). Areas of specialisation include: EU affairs, notably – the environment, innovation; ICT; employment; and international media, marketing and advertising. Languages: English (mother tongue) and French. Interests are hiking (summer) and skiing (winter) – downhill and cross-country.

 

Katalin KOLOSY A qualified linguist and engineer, Katalin has worked for AEIDL for several years. As a network organiser, she was responsible for making information and services available to stakeholders in the field, thereby assisting organisations to identify European partners, to organise seminars on specific subjects at a local level and to set up projects in the context of invitations to tender, etc. She worked first with ELISENET, then with LEADERNET and FORADA – pilot European data communication services: e-mail, online databases, European users’ network, etc. Between 2000 and 2006, she has worked in France with the Lot development agency, where she coordinated European projects. She also organised Demain le Lot! , an innovative campaign aiming to accompany professional migrations from city to countryside. In 2004, she completed her doctoral thesis on the subject of rural governance. Since April 2006, she is head of projects at AEIDL where she supervises several contracts with the European Commission. She also provides consultancy on evaluation and technical assistance for local and regional authorities as well as trans-national cooperation networks.

 

Eamon O’HARA Eamon O’Hara has been coordinated EU projects and initiatives since 1997. Having spent almost four years managing a LEADER local action group in Ireland, Eamon moved to Brussels in 2001 to work at AEIDL as a journalist and expert at the LEADER European Observatory, and subsequently on the communications aspects of EU Regional Policy. From 2003 to 2007, Eamon worked as a Policy Adviser for the Irish Regions Office in Brussels, where he was responsible for advising Ireland's regions and local authorities on EU policy in the areas of the environment, regional policy and rural development. He also oversaw the communications activities of the office (webiste, publications, etc..). Since September 2007, Eamon has been the Team Leader of the LIFE external communication team at AEIDL. He is responsible for managing a team of 15 environment and communications experts and for the coordination of the communications aspects of the LIFE programme on behalf of the Eurtopean Commission. Eamon is an environmental scientist by training (1989) and has a Masters degree in Climate Change and Sustainable Development (2009). He also has post-graduate qualifications in business administration and project management. Eamon is also an experienced native English editor and journalist, having written and edited work for the European Commission, the Irish Regions Office, and worked as a columnist for a national weekly newspaper in Ireland.

Jyostna PATEL Jyostna Patel has been part of the AEIDL team since May 2009.  She is working on the Framework contract for services related to monitoring transnational and innovative action under the 2007-2013 European Social Fund.  Ms Patel coordinates two Lots in this contract: Lot 2: Enhancing access to employment and the sustainable inclusion in the labour market; Lot 3: Reinforcing the social inclusion of disadvantaged people with a view to their sustainable integration in employment. Jyostna Patel has worked on various grounds of non-discrimination such as gender, race and age for advocacy organisations funded by the European Commission.  Previously, Ms Patel worked for a UK based charity promoting the rights of older people in developing countries. At AGE, she was responsible for projects on family carers and, older people, poverty and the National Action Plans on Social Inclusion.  At AGE, she was also responsible for coordinating the Intergroup on Ageing in the European Parliament (meetings to brief MEPs). At the European Women’s Lobby, among various responsibilities, Ms Patel was in charge of the dossier on discrimination against migrant women in the EU and tracking policies in the European institutions. Ms Patel is a fully qualified social worker and has worked as a social worker in the UK. In 2003, Ms Patel completed a Master of Philosophy on Policy-making on Race Equality in the EU at Coventry University in the UK.  Languages: English, French, Gujarati. Interests: listening to music; Indian cookery; reading; water colours; walking; gardening.

João Pedro SILVA João Pedro Silva is the Reference Person for LIFE-Nature projects in the external Communications Team for the LIFE programme. He has overall responsibility for the identification and dissemination of successful LIFE-Nature projects. His tasks include identifying opportunities for bringing projects and other stakeholders together, establishing thematic events and networks of ongoing LIFE projects, and facilitating thematic workshops. He has a background in Plant Biology at Lisbon University and Barcelona University. He joined AEIDL in 2006 after working as an ecologist consultant for environmental impact assessment studies for Natura 2000 sites. He also worked on Evaluation Criteria for Biodiversity to the Portuguese Standard of Sustainable Forestry Management PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Previously, he coordinated a Life-Nature project focused on the conservation of a Portuguese endemic plant specie priority for conservation. Languages: Portuguese (mother tongue), English, Spanish and French. Interests: botany, photography, cinema

Paul SOTO Paul Soto has over twenty-five years’ experience in nearly all areas of regional and local economic development. During this period he has always combined work on policy development with training and direct management on the ground. He has been particularly concerned with initiatives around rural development, food, tourism, the decentralisation of public service, instruments for economic development (both urban and rural), and the role of public, private and civil society in stimulating open, creative and sustainable communities. Born and educated in England, he worked on some of the earliest action research projects, which explored new organisational responses for the regeneration of inner city communities. At the time of leaving in 1986, he formed part of the management team of the Industry and Employment Department of the Greater London Council, one of the first authorities to systematically test partnerships between community-based NGOs and the public sector in the provision of a series of community services. As a consultant based in Spain, he helped to design, launch and directly manage some of the first public-private partnerships in rural Spain, with hands-on responsibility for projects funded under LEADER, ADAPT, NOW, YOUTHSTART, INTERREG and EQUAL. Over the same period, his company formed part of the group led by AEIDL, which won the contract for the European LEADER Observatory. Among other areas, he was particularly involved in the technical support provided to transnational co-operation. Paul Soto is currently resident in Brussels, providing technical assistance, as an expert for AEIDL, for the business creation theme of the EQUAL Community Initiative. He also co-ordinates a programme of studies for the Council of Europe on strategies for the social inclusion of young people in deprived urban areas. Languages: English and Spanish (mother tongues), French and Portuguese.

Margot VAN SOETENDAEL A member of the AEIDL team since 2008, Margot works as development officer for the Helpdesk of the European Evaluation Network for Rural Development. Before joining AEIDL, Margot was involved in the monitoring of the Objective 5b Programme of the Emilia-Romagna Region, creating databases and maps using a GIS system. Later she worked as a geographical expert for the Dutch speaking regions within the framework of the ex post evaluation of LEADER II, the methods for and success of mainstreaming LEADER innovations and approach into Rural Development Programmes (RDP) and the Synthesis of the mid term evaluations of LEADER+. As an expert in the monitoring and evaluation of policy instruments and programmes related to the European Structural Funds, she was also involved in the ex ante evaluation of the Flemish RDP 2007-2013. Margot is an environmental engineeer. Languages:  Dutch (mother tongue), Italian, English, French and Spanish. Interests: Flamenco, classic and modern dance, hiking, skiing and sailing.

 

Jean VANWEYDEVELD Jean Vanweydeveld joined the European Association for Information on Local Development (AEIDL) in October 2006 as Managing Director. He manages a team of 20 staff who are providing an extensive range of services to various institutions including the European Commission. Previously, he has developed, through various activities, strong managerial abilities with multi-discipline teams of a broad diversity of nationalities and backgrounds. He has leaded successfully various projects in the very competitive world of aviation. Jean worked 16 years for British Airways where he started as Finance Manager Benelux to become for the last 8 years Commercial/Country Manager for Belgium and Luxembourg. He holds a degree in Accounting. He is fluent in English, French and Dutch.

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