Before the formal constitution of Arco Latino, there were many different experiences of transboundary cooperation between the Mediterranean provinces of Italy, France and Spain. However, in some cases, this cooperation amongst neighbouring regions between states was insufficient to successfully meet more important challenges. Under the auspices of European regional policy, and with regard to the need to make the western Mediterranean region an area of influence and strategic interest, and to prepare it for a specific Community initiative, it was decided to establish a partnership beyond national limits. The Conseil Général des Alpes-Maritimes proposed to create Arco Latino in December 1999, as a response to these challenges and as an instrument for developing and consolidating more stable cooperation dynamics with a higher impact than existing initiatives.

Arco Latino is a good example of regional authorities´wish to realize their own initiatives of relations within their territory beyond the exchange of experience.

After a first meeting in Marseilles, in which participated 32 administrations, the First General Assembly (Barcelona, June 2001) was announced. On this occasion 37 administrations signed the Joint Declaration, the network’s first political positioning and reference document.

As from this moment, Arco Latino´s efforts focused on gaining legal status, on getting a stable common structure and on securing the territorial continuity of the western Mediterranean area. In order to secure the inclusion of the political representatives of Arco Latino´s different regions, some seminars took place in Sevila, Nîmes and Rome (March 2002).

In June 2002, at the Arco Latino constitutive General Assembly in Montpellier, the Association’s founding statutes were signed by 56 administrations. At this Assembly, the president of the Diputació de Barcelona was elected first president of the Association, whilst the other Administrative Board members were also appointed and a Permanent Secretariate constituted. This Permanent Secretariat was divided into a Strategic Secretariat coordinated by Conseil Général de l’Hérault, a Technical Secretariat coordinated by Provincia di Roma and three Territorial Secretariats coordinated by the Diputación de Sevilla, the Provincia di Genova and the Conseil Général de l’Hérault.

At the General Assembly in Barcelona (November 2004) the Administrative Board was renewed and a new Presidency, the Conseil Général de l’Hérault, elected, as well as a new Permanent Secretariat, coordinated by the Diputació de Barcelona, was constituted.

In January 2007, in the occasion of the celebration of the General Assembly in Nuoro, a new mandate under the Presidency of the Province of Torino begins. The new Board is formed by the following members: Diputació of Barcelona (which continuous coordinating the Permanent Secretariat), Diputación of Seville, Diputación of Zaragoza, Province of Caserta, Province of Arezzo, Province of Nuoro, Conseil Général de l’Hérault, Conseil Général du Var and Conseil Général d’Haute-Corse.

Arco Latino currently has 71 active members (41 Italians, 18 Spanish and 12 French).

The Association´s territory covers 320.000 km² with a population of 43,5 million. The different associated corporations of Arco Latino are made up of around 8.000 municipalities.