Upon initiative of CEMR (Council of European Municipalities and Regions) and ATO (Arab Towns Organization), following the initial setting up of a regulation agreed upon at Gaza (July 2000) by representatives of Local Administrations, the Standing Committee for the Euro Mediterranean Partnership of Local and Regional Authorities (COPPEM) was established on the occasion of the 1st Plenary Assembly of its Members (Palermo, 27-28 November 2000).

In December 2002, on the occasion of the 3rd Plenary Assembly, the COPPEM non-profit international association has been formally adopted. It is composed of 101 full Members and of 101 alternate Members, representing Municipalities, Provinces, Local Authorities, and Regions of the 35 Euro-Mediterranean Countries, for this purposes appointed by their national Associations. Full Members are also the COPPEM Secretary General, a representative of CEMR and a representative of ATO.

COPPEM Bodies are: the General Assembly, the Presidency Council, the President and Vice-Presidents, the Secretary General

COPPEM Secretariat and its offices are based in Palermo, Italy.

Both Sicily Region, through a special law, and some local Institutions, have supported COPPEM operativeness since the beginning.

In general, the purpose of COPPEM is to promote both dialogue and cooperation for local development between towns, municipalities, Local Authorities, and Regions of the member Countries of the Euro Mediterranean Partnership, and their active and concrete participation in achieving the objectives established within the Barcelona Declaration of ’95, through MEDA program and the other financial means of the European Union and of the Public and the Private Bodies of the States of the Euro-Mediterranean area.