The last 12th September 2025, members of the European Alliance Group met in Berceni, near Bucharest, for a seminar hosted by EA member Cosmina Pandele, mayor of Berceni. For one day, this small but growing commune became the stage for a debate on the future of villages located in close proximity to cities. The meeting was described as historic for Berceni, giving visibility and a voice to communities too often overlooked in European and National policymaking.
Speakers underlined both the pressures and the potential of peri-urban areas. EA President Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis defended subsidiarity and warned against centralisation in EU funding, while Mayor Pandele called on Europe to listen more to its villages. Romanian National and European leaders added their perspectives including: Marin Țole, State Secretary at Romania's Ministry of Development; Sebastian-Ioan Burduja, former Minister of Energy and adviser to the Prime Minister; Daniel Nicodim, Prefect of Prahova County; and Adina-Ioana Vălean, Member of the European Parliament and former Commissioner for Transport and Ramona Chiriac, Head of the European Commission Representation in Romania. They addressed balanced development between cities and villages, Romania's demographic decline and the need for administrative reform, the progress and challenges of communes like Berceni, and the importance of investing in mobility, digital networks and public services, while also underlining the transformative role of EU funds. Finally, EA members also shared their experiences: Marc Hendrickx pointed to Flemish best practices in a presentation you can find HERE, and Kieran McCarthy made a presentation based on his previous work as CoR rapporteur on Small Urban Areas, and the New European Bauhaus.
The debates led to the adoption of the
Berceni Declaration, a text that recognises peri-urban villages as bridges between urban and rural areas. It calls for stronger local services, better public transport, fairer access to EU funds and the preservation of cultural identity. By placing peri-urban villages firmly on the European map, the declaration sends a clear message: these communities are not commuter towns but vibrant places with their own future.
The day before, on 11 September, EA members had already explored Berceni and its surroundings. They visited the EU-funded Antonel Kindergarten, enjoyed a concert from schoolchildren, toured a
Housing for Humanity project providing affordable homes to families in the need, met local investors, the town hall, and ended the day at an ecological farm. These visits showed in practice how European support and local action can improve daily life. For Berceni, it was an opportunity to showcase its achievements, its ambitions, and its role as an example for peri-urban villages across Europe.
The event counted with a press conference, resulting in a news report by
Columna TV, regional Romanian TV, which you can see here: