MIO-ECSDE became a Federation of Mediterranean NGOs in March 1996. Its roots go back to the early 80s, when the expanding Mediterranean membership of the European Community encouraged the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) to form its Mediterranean Committee, supported by Elliniki Etairia (the Hellenic Society for the Protection of the Environment and the Cultural Heritage). The Mediterranean Information Office (MIO) was established in 1990 as a network of NGOs, under a joint project of EEB and Elliniki Etairia and in close collaboration with the Arab Network of Environment and Development (RAED). The continuous expansion of MIO-ECSDE''s Mediterranean NGO network and the increasing request for constructive and structured NGO opinions and representation in Mediterranean and international fora, led to the transformation of MIO-ECSDE to its current NGO Federation status with around 105 members from 24 countries.