After a short outline of the vibronic features of the local Jahn-Teller effect (E g ⊗ ε g coupling) the cooperative aspects — in particular the various order patterns of the elongated octahedra in Cu(II) solids — are reviewed. While the elastic interactions can be described by energy terms of Qε symmetry, the local Jahn-Teller effect has Qθ symmetry (ϕ = 0). Phase transitions in dependence on the Cu(II) concentration are analysed in detail for oxidic ordered perovskites Ba(Sr)2Zn(Ni)1-x CuxW(Te)O6, which exhibit ferrodistortive order patterns connected with first order phase transitions at high x-values. At lower x-values at the short-range order scale elastic Qε-type strains prevail as in the cases of antiferrodistortive order, leading to continuous phase transitions. Here, the cluster distribution has been successfully analysed by EPR spectroscopy.