Background A Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) was agreed in 2001 to support the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Among the activities foreseen by the strategy was the development of guidelines on technical issues and their testing/demonstration in Pilot River Basins (PRB). Tests have been carried out in 15 PRBs in 18 countries, including the Odense in Denmark. In 2004, water directors identified agriculture as a key focus area, and established an EU Strategic Steering Group to address problems related to agricultural nutrient pressure. In several Member States, these problems are an impediment to meeting the WFD objective of a good ecological status in all water bodies by 2015. Objectives The project aimed to focus on agricultural nutrient pressure and its impact on achieving WFD objectives. Its main target was to demonstrate the development of a cost-effective programme of measures to reduce levels of nitrogen and phosphorous originating from agricultural activities in the Odense river basin. Further goals were to prepare a Pilot River Basin management plan and elaborate input for the EU Strategic Steering Group, as well as to demonstrate and make available the project’s results to other environmental and rural development authorities and stakeholders within the EU. Results The project produced a cost-effective programme of measures to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses from agricultural activities in the Odense river basin in order to meet the EU Water Framework Directive objectives ahead of the official Water Framework Directive time schedule. It also developed a Pilot River Basin Management Plan. The project published reports that demonstrate and test the methodology laid down in the Water Framework Directive with regard to the agricultural sector. Its scope included the initial characterisation of surface waters and groundwater, the establishment of environmental objectives based on reference conditions and preparation of a programme of measures optimised on the basis of economic cost analyses and cost effectiveness. The project was carried out by Environment Centre Odense under the Danish Ministry of the Environment – and earlier by the Nature Management and Water Division of the former Fyn County – in an open process with the participation of two external advisory boards (national and regional), an external technical expert group and an environmental economics expert group. A large number of stakeholders and institutions have thus made significant contributions to the project. Odense Pilot River Basin is part of an international network of pilot river basins that exchange knowledge and experience between water management authorities in the various EU Member States and with the European Commission. Aspects of the project could be replicated in other water management plans including the methodology of its cost-effectiveness analysis. The methodology could be further developed to fit other river basins and address their problems.