European policy, funding and cooperation can help cities advance priorities ranging from housing and climate action to mobility, digitalisation and social inclusion. But in many municipalities, knowledge of how to engage with Europe remains concentrated in a small EU or international affairs team.
This new training from the Eurocities Academy helps municipal staff understand how European engagement can support their everyday work. Through practical exercises, city examples and guided reflection, participants identify the European dimension of a local challenge and develop their own first EU action plan.
Cities can choose between a blended programme and an intensive two-day, in-person course. Both formats are tailored to the host city and delivered at a time agreed with Eurocities Academy. The training is designed to strengthen EU engagement across your city administration, not only among staff who already work on European projects. Read our training overview for all the details.
Why this training?
EU and international relations teams are increasingly expected to help colleagues across the city administration understand European policies, funding opportunities, city networks and advocacy processes.
However, staff working on areas closely connected to European priorities do not always know where to begin. They may have a promising project idea, a policy challenge they want to address or an interest in learning from other cities, but no clear route into European cooperation.
This training helps bridge that gap. It positions the city’s EU or international relations team as an internal enabler that can connect departments with European opportunities, policy developments and other cities.
For the host city, the training helps to:
- Build a stronger culture of EU engagement across departments
- Identify motivated colleagues and promising ideas
- Increase the visibility of the EU or international relations team
- Map potential projects, advocacy priorities and peer-learning opportunities
- Start developing a cross-departmental network for European engagement
- Integrate European learning into the municipality’s staff development programme
Each participant leaves with a first personal EU action plan linked to their own role and local priorities.
What will you learn?
Participants gain an accessible and practical introduction to EU engagement from a city perspective. The content is adapted to the host city but usually covers:
- The value of EU engagement for cities: How European action can strengthen local policies and support city priorities.
- How the EU works: The main institutions, policymaking processes and entry points that matter for cities.
- From local challenge to European opportunity: How to recognise the European dimension of an issue and decide what type of action could help.
- Tools for European action: City networks, bilateral exchanges, EU projects, funding programmes, peer learning, advocacy, technical assistance and European initiatives.
- Working with the city’s EU or international relations team: When to involve the team and how it can connect departmental ideas with the city’s wider European strategy.
- Developing an EU action plan: Turning a challenge or opportunity from each participant’s work into realistic next steps.
Participants also receive a practical English-language course manual containing explanations, tools and examples. Where possible, the materials include examples from the host city.
What makes this training practical?
This is not a theoretical course about the EU. Participants begin with their own professional reality: a local challenge, policy priority, project idea or opportunity they would like to explore. Short expert presentations are combined with concrete city examples, group discussion, guided reflection, individual work and peer feedback.
The training is delivered by a Eurocities staff member with experience in European engagement, city networks, EU projects or municipal international action. Trainers receive specific preparation from Eurocities Academy to ensure a consistent methodology and facilitation approach.
By the end of the programme, each participant will have developed a short personal EU action plan, identifying a local challenge or opportunity, relevant European connections and realistic next steps, including how to involve their city’s EU or international relations team.
Who should attend?
The training is designed for municipal staff who are not EU specialists but whose work could benefit from a stronger European dimension.
Participants may include policy officers, project officers, technical staff, heads of unit and middle managers working on priorities such as climate, housing, mobility, innovation, culture, digitalisation, social inclusion or public services.
It is particularly suited to:
- Staff who are interested in European engagement but do not know where to start
- Staff working on challenges that could benefit from funding, cooperation, advocacy or peer learning
- Colleagues who could become internal partners for the city’s EU or international relations team
- Departments that could connect more actively with European opportunities
The recommended group size is 20-30 people, depending on the chosen format and the desired level of interaction.
What’s the format?
The training is hosted by your city, with the in-person sessions taking place in a venue provided by the municipality. You can choose between two formats.
Blended training: 10-12 hours in total
- Two online training sessions of two hours each
- Two hours of independent work on a first personal EU action plan
- One in-person working session of approximately five hours
- Peer feedback and practical mapping of European opportunities
- Discussion with the host city’s EU or international relations team
This option works well for cities that want to reach a broad group of municipal staff, raise awareness and identify promising colleagues and ideas across the administration.
Two-day in-person training: 10-12 hours in total
- A practical introduction to EU engagement from a city perspective
- Tailored case studies from the host city and other European cities
- Extended group work and cross-departmental discussion
- A structured clinic on participants’ EU action plans
- Discussion of possible follow-up opportunities
This option is recommended for cities seeking a more intensive capacity-building exercise and a starting point for an active cross-departmental EU engagement network.
How is the training tailored to your city?
Before the training, Eurocities Academy organises a preparation interview with the host city’s EU affairs, international relations or European projects team. This discussion identifies:
- The city’s European priorities and political objectives
- Existing EU projects and networks
- Relevant local examples and case studies
- Internal coordination challenges
- Departments and staff who could benefit most
- Potential opportunities for future European action
The training materials are then adapted to reflect the city’s own context. This helps participants see how their work can connect with the municipality’s existing European engagement and strategy. The course is delivered in English as standard.
What does it cost?
Blended training:
- Eurocities members: €5,300, excluding VAT
- Other cities: €7,500, excluding VAT
Two-day in-person training:
- Eurocities members: €8,000, excluding VAT
- Other cities: €11,000, excluding VAT
The price includes trainer preparation, the tailoring of materials, delivery of the training and trainer travel within Europe. Venue costs, catering, participant travel and participant accommodation are not included.
Interested?
Please contact: Guillem Ramírez Chico, Head of Learning and Capacity-Building at Eurocities
guillem.ramirez-chico@eurocities.eu
