ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes how the European Union (EU) can use regional and municipal activism in its foreign policy, thereby addressing one of the book's central questions: How can the EU make a difference using its own tools and defining its own unique influence? The authors argue that regions and cities should be placed in the EU foreign policy toolbox. The role of European substate entities, particularly regions and cities, has grown over time. Central governments and EU institutions must increasingly compromise with substate actors throughout the policy cycle, from policy initiation to decision-making and implementation. Hooghe and Marks identified three main channels for the involvement of regional substate actors in EU decision-making: regional representation in the Committee of Regions, access to the Council of Ministers and regional lobby offices.
