The formation of the catholic umbrella organisation CEDAME (European Conference of Church Music Associations) was triggered by an encouraging suggestion in the European Year of Music 1985. After a meeting of church choirs in Rome and the international Pueri-Cantores Congress in Paris the Italian church music association turned to other associations in other European countries. After two preliminary meetings, the founding conference was held in Strasbourg, the city of the Council of Europe, and was attended by eleven countries. The organisational and secretarial post was entrusted to Canon Gérard Grasser of Strasbourg, who has remained a mentor and a link between the various language groups of the CEDAME to this day. Since 1988, the members of the conference have met on a yearly basis, each time in a different country. The national reports of the separate church music associations form an important part of the CEDAME meetings. At the 2001 conference in Marianky near Bratislava (Slovakia) the work of the CEDAME was re-organised. The delegates agreed upon a model in which the leading body was enlarged to three members in order to lessen the workload of the acting president, as well as to provide some organisational continuity: the acting president is now assisted by the president of the last and of the coming CEDAME meeting.
The CEDAME office can be found in the ACV secretary's office in Regensburg. Since 1988 regular yearly meetings have taken place in the following European cities:

1988	Straßburg, Frankreich	1998	Luzern, Schweiz	2008	Luxemburg, Luxemburg
1989	Luxemburg	1999	Warschau, Polen
1990	Rom, Italien	2000	Nimes, Frankreich
1991	Namur, Belgien	2001	Marianke/Bratislawa, Slowakei
1992	Fatima, Portugal	2002	Antwerpen, Belgien
1993	Budapest, Ungarn	2003	Wien, Österreich
1994	Kerkrade, Niederlande	2004	Regensburg, Deutschland
1995	Luxemburg	2005	Minsk, Belarus
1996	Graz, Österreich	2006	Salzburg, Österreich
1997	Prag, Tschechien	2007	Dublin, Irland