Background The perception amongst many companies that environmental improvements impose a cost burden has led to considerable resistance to the voluntary introduction of such improvements in industry. This situation is worse in small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), as highlighted by the latest report by the 'European Observatory on small and medium-sized companies'. In addition, there is a clear preference amongst SMEs for the international standard ISO 14000 over Regulation 1836/93 (EMAS). Most municipal councils are unaware of EMAS and the proposed new regulation which allows for voluntary participation by organisations. Finally, environmental auditors do not have sufficient credibility amongst companies. Objectives - Promote the voluntary participation of SMEs in environmental management systems (Art. 11 of new EMAS proposal) by means of innovative models of optimisation and offering financial savings deriving from the introduction of environmental measures and improvements. - Facilitate the participation of municipal councils (public bodies) in the framework of the new proposed EMAS Regulation. - Experiment with and validate integrated EMAS models with other European and international regulations, together with the harmonisation of protocols and procedures in the areas of quality, work safety and the environment. - Demonstrate the potential for specialised job creation related to environmental considerations (internal and external environmental auditors). Results - Elaboration of good practice guidelines with a view to facilitating their dissemination to EU companies. The guidelines have been translated into English and German and have been made available on CD-ROM, as well as via the project website. - Environmental good practices have been qualified according to their degree of adaptability to municipal authorities (City councils). The objective of this is to ensure widespread adoption by public institutions in different regions of the EU, as well as increasing substantially the number of municipal authorities certified under EMAS. - An integrated management methodology (covering health, quality and environment) has been developed. Eight companies have been selected in order to analyse practical experiences and study their management systems for adaptation to the SME model. - A validated training manual has been produced as a guide to qualifications for semi-freelance auditors. - Intense dissemination actions at a local and national level were developed.