best placed to produce tangible solutions to their everyday problems. This forum provides structured visibility and follow-up for the on-the-ground realities of relations between the EU and its Southern and Eastern Mediterranean partners in the areas of trade, economic co-operation agreements, and the promotion of job creation and cultural interface. ARLEM is a response to the request to put the role of regional and local authorities in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership on an institutional footing. It therefore gives the partnership a territorial dimension and seeks to involve local and regional authorities more closely in the specific projects of the Union for the Mediterranean. Organisation The structure of ARLEM is twofold, along the lines of what was done at the national parliamentary level with the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. It is composed of 80 members: The EU delegation is composed of members of the Committee of the Regions (32) and representatives of European and international associations engaged in Euro-Mediterranean co-operation (8) (AER, AEBR, Arco Latino, CEMR, CPMR, COPPEM, Medcities, UCLG). The delegation of the Mediterranean partners is composed of 40 representatives of local and regional authorities appointed by the national governments. The Assembly is chaired by two co-presidents: Markku Markkula, President of the Committee of the Regions, and Hani Abdalmasih, Mayor of Beit Sahour (Palestine). The Bureau is composed of the 2 co-Presidents, and ten members. References External links ARLEM Official Website (Committee of the Regions) Union for the Mediterranean Official Website Union for the Mediterranean Official Website Committee of the Regions Official Website MEDCITIES Official Website Assembly of European Regions Official Website United Cities and Local Governments Official Website Council of European Municipalities and Regions Official Website ARLEM: local authorities seek observer status in UfM Union for the Mediterranean Foreign relations of the European Union