CMP background The Council of Maritime Premiers (CMP) is one of the most significant symbols of regional cooperation in Canada. Established in 1972, CMP was the first agency of its kind to provide an effective legal framework for cooperation among provinces. The goal of the Council is to ensure maximum coordination of the activities of the governments of the three Maritime provinces, and their agencies. There are three primary ways that the provinces advance their interests through cooperation: creating regional organizations harmonizing provincial policies and programs; and having common positions on matters involving other parties such as the federal government. Some of the most notable successes of the CMP include: co-operation in education through the Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation (APEF) and the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC); an agreement on co-operation in emergencies providing for the development of compatible emergency management arrangements and co-operation in the coordination of emergency operations; and the implementation of an Atlantic Procurement Agreement removing trade barriers among Atlantic governments on purchases of goods, services, and construction. As the predecessor to the Council of Atlantic Premiers, the CMP has a 29-year history of providing capacity for the provinces to reach ends together that they might not have been able to achieve alone. The distinctive CMP logo was designed in 1972. The three "M’s" signify the three Maritime Provinces. The equilateral triangle formed by the base of the letters symbolizes the equality of the member governments and the circle signifies the region.