The impact of cities on the EU foreign policy

This chapter explores how cities have evolved from local administrative units into influential actors shaping the European Union's external relations. Using the example of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, it demonstrates how municipal engagement transcends local governance, contributing to the EU's global leadership in areas such as climate diplomacy, sustainability, and soft power projection. Drawing on international relations theory, the chapter situates cities within the broader debate on non-state actors, outlining how processes of globalisation, urbanisation, and multi-level governance have expanded their international agency. The chapter defines and contextualises paradiplomacy and city diplomacy, tracing their emergence from the pluralisation of diplomacy and the decentralisation of state authority. It then examines the multiple mechanisms through which cities influence EU foreign policy – from lobbying within EU institutions and operating through transnational city networks to conducting direct diplomatic initiatives. The typology identifies cities as contributors, peace brokers, antennas, and occasionally troublemakers, showing both their potential and the tensions that arise when substate entities pursue international agendas. Finally, the chapter reflects on the opportunities and risks associated with incorporating cities into the EU's foreign policy architecture. Their engagement can enhance policy coherence, innovation, and legitimacy, but it may also create fragmentation or expose the EU to external influence. The analysis concludes that cities have become central components of the EU's external action. Understanding their role requires moving beyond a state-centric lens towards a multi-level governance perspective.