On 12 September 2025, members of the European Alliance (EA) Group met in Berceni, near Bucharest, for a seminar hosted by Cosmina Pandele, Mayor of Berceni. For one day, this small but fast-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 the principle of subsidiarity and warned against centralisation in EU funding, while Mayor Pandele called on Europe to listen more to its villages.
Other Romanian and European leaders added their perspectives, including:
- Marin Țole, State Secretary, Ministry of Development
- Sebastian-Ioan Burduja, former Minister of Energy and adviser to the Prime Minister
- Daniel Nicodim, Prefect of Prahova County
- Adina-Ioana Vălean, Member of the European Parliament and former Commissioner for Transport
- Ramona Chiriac, Head of the European Commission Representation in Romania
They addressed the need for balanced development between cities and villages, tackling demographic decline, administrative reform, mobility and digital networks, and the transformative role of EU funds.
EA members also shared their experiences:
- Marc Hendrickx presented Flemish best practices.
- Kieran McCarthy shared insights from his work as CoR rapporteur on Small Urban Areas and the New European Bauhaus.
The debates concluded with the adoption of the Berceni Declaration, a text that recognises peri-urban villages as bridges between urban and rural areas and calls for stronger local services, better public transport, fairer access to EU funds and preservation of cultural identity in these areas.
The day before, on 11 September, EA members 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, met local investors and municipal representatives, and ended the day at an ecological farm. These visits illustrated how European support and local action can improve everyday life. For Berceni, it was an opportunity to showcase its achievements, ambitions and potential as a model for peri-urban villages across Europe.