Meet Mistral van Oudenhove, a predoctoral researcher from Murcia, Spain, as he shares his experience as a Visiting Fellow at IEEP.
I am Mistral, a Spanish predoctoral researcher. I completed a BA in Geography and Land Management at the University of Murcia with a thesis on soil conservation measures within the EU Common Agricultural Policy, concerning degradation monitoring and processes. My interest in environmental conservation and land management led to an MSc in Analysis, Conservation and Restoration of Habitats at the University of Jaén, Andalucía (Spain), where I specialised in agri-ecosystems and strategies for assessing regenerative agriculture outputs (master thesis). I am currently pursuing a PhD in Biodiversity and Environmental Management at the University of Murcia in collaboration with the Spanish National Research Council.
In the first quarter of 2025, I worked as an International PhD Visiting Fellow in the CAP and Food team at IEEP. From January to April, I combined my expertise from the Soil and Water Conservation Research Group at the Spanish National Research Council (CEBAS-CSIC) with IEEP’s experience in European law analysis to study the application of the current CAP framework (2023–2027).
Together with my IEEP colleagues, I assessed the uptake of agri-environmental interventions for sustainable soil management and analysed stakeholders’ priorities on the matter, evaluating whether EU law is aligned with regional stakeholders’ perceptions. Working alongside policy experts, I evaluated compliance with environmental interventions for sustainable soil management and proposed region-specific recommendations for semi-arid Mediterranean regions.
Working at IEEP gave me an insider’s view on how EU law is shaped and EU discourse is organised. Attending conferences at the EU Parliament, seminars and workshops organised by Brussels-based organisations, where proposals for improving the CAP for the next programming period were extensively discussed, helped me to understand how stakeholders’ concerns are modified or included in EU law.
During my stay, I also organised, together with my supervisor Elisabet Nadeu, a series of interviews with actors such as the European Union’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI). This provided me with valuable insights into further comprehending the nuances of the CAP that proved instrumental in refining our regional recommendations.
I am incredibly grateful for the warm welcome I received from the IEEP team, to all my colleagues from the CAP and Food team, especially Melanie Muro and Elisabet Nadeu, for their patience, guidance, and support throughout this formative experience, demonstrating great leadership, companionship, and teamwork. I am appreciative of all the opportunities given to me by the organisation that have helped further my knowledge and improve my professional skills and I look forward to working with IEEP again in the future.
IEEP strongly believes in supporting the policymakers and environmental experts of tomorrow. As part of our educational mandate, IEEP is happy to host students and researchers in partnership with their universities as part of their programmes and curricula. If you would like to find out more, contact us at brussels@ieep.eu
