Cities and environmental protection. What role within the European Union context?{\textbar}Città e tutela dell’ambiente Quale ruolo all’interno dell’Unione europea?

After having reconstructed the {EU}’s growing interest in cities, the relevance of which has gradually emerged in parallel with the debate within the {EU} institutions on the issues of sustainability and environmental protection, the paper analyses a recent dispute before the {EU} courts. The case involved the municipal institutions of Madrid, Paris and Brussels, on the one hand, and the European Commission and some Member States, on the other. The rulings are an opportunity to reflect on the locus standi of local authorities before the {CJEU} and the overall role of such local entities in the european multilevel system