Background The world's water resources are under increasing pressure as a result of a growth in demand. The EU defines water, not as a commercial product, but as a heritage that must be protected, and water is a critical development factor in many countries. For example, the overuse of water supplies can result in desertification in some areas. A recognised need exists to combat long-term deterioration of freshwater quality and quantity throughout the EU. This requires action to underpin sustainable management and protection of freshwater resources. Objectives The core objective of this LIFE Environment project was to reverse current water degradation trends in the Anthemountas river basin in northern Greece. This was to be achieved by developing and applying a sustainable water resource management policy approach. Additional project objectives included: integrating the policy approach within other sectoral policies in a wider area and across Greece; developing social, technical and administrative water resource management tools; and utilising European good practice in water resource management, particularly those relating to the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Agenda 21.Results LIFE’s Water Agenda project represented the first full-scale application of WFD principles and guidelines at a local level in Greece. Key methodological aspects of the project included: implementing state of the art, step by step approaches to WFD procedures for the Anthemountas basin; establishing strategic administrative support to implement the WFD through the existing local water management scheme; improving social awareness regarding the aims and goals of the Water Agenda project via bottom–up policy formulation techniques; and introducing, for the first time in local Greek water policies, elements of real time cost/ benefit data and water pricing. The main results from the three year project were the: Development of a sustainable water resource management policy for the Anthemountas basin, which addresses problems of water quantity and quality while taking into account the region's development trends, as well as its natural and social characteristics; Attainment of a local agreement (expressed as a water protocol) for the management of the water resources by social partners and consumers of the area; and Production of social, technical, administrative and economic tools for integrated water resource management in line with the EC Water Directive by using European know-how and best practices.Long term beneficial legacies are anticipated in the Anthemountas river basin following the LIFE project. Key success factors can be attributed to: enhanced knowledge regarding the status of the river basin’s water bodies; adequate understanding about the associated management requirements; and establishment of an appropriate water protocol that will facilitate the implementation of the necessary water management measures. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).