Serafin Pazos-Vidal, European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL), Belgium

Dr. Serafin Pazos-Vidal

European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL), Belgium

Co-Organiser of the 2019-2024 RSA Research Network on Cohesion Policy (CPNet)

Professional Background

Senior Expert and policy lead on Territorial Development, European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL)

Thematic coordinator of the association´s work on Territorial Development leading policy work on major Horizon Europe research projects on EU Cohesion, Rural and Agriculture, including RURACTIVE, FUTURAL, SMARTERA, RURBANIVE, GRASSCEILING, CODECS, GRANULAR, BEATLES, REHUBS, TERRAE, GRASS CEILING, MOVING, DESIRA, SHERPA.

Previously served for 15 years as Head of the Brussels Office of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), directing the organisation’s EU policy work and negotiations across two EU programming periods.

Represented two European regions in Brussels, the East of England and Galicia, supporting EU legislative work, Structural Funds negotiations and constitutional debates.

Chair, CEMR EU Cohesion Policy Expert Group, leading local government positions in negotiations for the 2014–2020 and 2021–2027 EU Cohesion Policy frameworks.
Member, Subsidiarity Expert Group, European Committee of the Regions

Acted as expert to key EU institutions—European Parliament, European Commission, Committee of the Regions and Council of Europe—on CLLD, ITI, INTERREG, depopulation, rural development and cohesion.

Academic Qualifications

PhD in European Union Studies (UNED, Cum Laude, Special Prize); Subsidiarity and EU Multilevel Governance dissertation published by Routledge (Pazos-Vidal, 2019).
MA in European Union (UNED, Cum Laude), specialising in EU law, budget, case law and regional governance.
Master in European Integration and Management of EU Funds (EHU‑UPV), focused on EU policies and management of EU resources.
Postgraduate Diploma in Public Financial Management (SOAS, University of London), specialising in budgeting, project appraisal, decentralisation and public‑sector management.
Licenciatura degree in Political and Public Administration Sciences (USC) with specialisation in EU and UK devolution politics (University of Wales).

Research & Scholarly Expertise

Multilevel governance and subsidiarity in the EU institutional framework.
EU Cohesion Policy, Structural and Investment Funds, and territorial governance instruments (CLLD, ITI).
Rural development, depopulation studies, and comparative decentralisation processes.
EU constitutional evolution, regional representation and institutional negotiations.

Academic Roles & Activities

Fellow, Regional Studies Association (RSA) and member of the RSA Cohesion Policy Research Network.
Member of:
- AECPA (Spanish Political Science Association)
- Red Localis (Hispanic‑American local government academic network)
- URBAN RED (Sustainable Urban Development Academic Network)
- Research Group Autonomy and Democracy (UPO Sevilla)
- European Commission´s European Community of Practice on Partnership (ECoPP)
Peer reviewer for European Urban and Regional Studies, European Journal of Geography, Review of Policy Research.
Lecturer, speaker and provider of expert evidence to EU, UK and Scottish parliamentary bodies on cohesion, governance and territorial development.