Background It is only since 1987, with the launching of the first national water management plan, that Denmark’s farmers have been required to consider the environmental impacts of agricultural activities. Today, the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires farmers to consider environmental impacts not only on the farm itself, but also at river basin level. It is a new approach because until now, pollution from agriculture has mainly been regulated at the national level and has not adequately taken regional and local conditions into account. It is believed that the environmental objectives set by the WFD can be achieved through farmers' voluntary implementation of good agricultural practice (GAP), with the support of the Danish agricultural advisory system and environmental authorities. Objectives The AGWAPLAN (AGriculture and WAter PLAN) project aimed to develop and test an integrated advisory approach to the implementation of GAP. It demonstrated and quantified the impact of GAP on nitrogen and phosphorous in surface and groundwater in three pilot areas in mid-eastern Jutland. The integrated approach was based on the participation of environmental authorities, the Danish agricultural advisory service, agricultural research institutions and farmers. Results The project developed and tested an integrated participatory advisory approach for the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in three agriculturally intensive pilot areas in the mid-eastern part of Jutland. The AGWAPLAN project produced direct environmental benefits by using GAP to reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous entering the surface and groundwater bodies and quantified their amounts in comparison to the established tolerance limits The integrated approach was based on the participation of environmental authorities, the agricultural advisory service, agricultural research, and farmers. The project results were disseminated in Denmark and across the EU. The project was received well in the pilot areas by farmers as well as by other stakeholders. The pilot farmers and the local advisory service have been very committed to the project ideas. The farmers found a good way of implementing the WFD in co-operation with the four municipalities involved and the local advisory service. The Danish Agricultural Advisory Service (DAAS), the University of Aarhus (AU) and the Environmental Centre Aarhus (ECA) co-operated in a well-functioning project management group. This co-operation seems to be long lasting and new ties have been formed in this project. The project has received much attention and interest from other WFD stakeholders. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).