European Union policy at the local scale is split into numerous sectoral programmes in the spheres of cross-border cooperation, energy, the environment, culture and transport. In this context, the CIVITAS (City-Vitality-Sustainability) initiative on sustainable urban mobility was launched in 2000. The aim of this article is to analyse relations between cities and Europe, focusing on the practical ways in which local policies have been ‘Europeanized’ in four French cities. The article highlights three main results. First, CIVITAS does not represent a sufficient financial incentive to sustain ‘download Europeanization’ of local transport policies, which remain under the control of local authorities. Second, despite a lack of European funding, local authorities mobilize strongly on a European level in order to distinguish themselves. In a context where French transport authorities are becoming increasingly dependent on local financial resources, entering the CIVITAS programme and acquiring this seal of approval has played a determining role in legitimizing and boosting budget allocations to public transport. Third, the mobilization of local authorities and the selective strategy of the European Commission jointly strengthen political competition between cities at a European level and reinforce a network of innovative cities.