Background Italy’s Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park is a high nature value area situated between the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It is surrounded by large industrial and urban conurbations that exert pressures on the park, thereby requiring the area’s authorities to proactively seek solutions for harmonising demands by ecological and socio-economic stakeholders. SMEs play a key role in this sustainable development process but some SMEs face particular difficulties and can traditionally find it harder to comply with environmental legislation than larger firms. In general, the smaller the company, the more difficult it is. Although there is a cost implication in compliance, companies that do take action can benefit from lower energy bills and greater efficiency in their operations. Objectives The main objective of the ECO-CLUSTER project was to improve the environmental footprint of SMEs operating in the national park area. A parallel purpose aimed to help improve the competitiveness of local businesses. Such dual goals would be achieved by preparing and implementing an ‘Action Plan for the Environmental Compliance Assistance Programme for SMEs (ECAP Programme (COM/379/2007)’. This green-growth business model was based on a cluster approach, which included SMEs and public authorities within a public-private environmental management partnership. Its role involved operating various voluntary instruments tailored to the individual needs of different cluster members. Support was to be provided to help cluster members carry out audits certifying compliance with environmental legislation and regulations. Special attention was provided for the tourism sector via support to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions among members of the ‘Cerreto Laghi’ tourism cluster. Expected results included: Implementation of an ECO-CLUSTER environmental management model; Preparation of a database containing approximately 100 clusters in Italy and the rest of Europe; Reinforcement of local capacity to create integrated environmental policies and to make them more accessible to SMEs; Raising of SME awareness at a local level about environmental management legislation, associated issues and opportunities; Reduction of administration and consultancy costs for the adoption of voluntary environmental management tools (EMAS, Ecolabel, GPP, FSC) by SMEs.Results The ECO-CLUSTER project achieved all its main aims by succeeding in both designing and implementing a multi-discipline environmental management model (ECO-CLUSTER). The model involves a clustered partnership of SMEs and Public Authorities. Together they cooperate (within a mutually agreed and integrated environmental policy) to voluntarily run a diverse and accessible range of environmental management instruments, all of which carefully targeted to the cluster’s needs. Initial actions created the envisaged database of approximately 100 similar clusters covering Italy and other parts the EU. This new knowledge informed the project teams’ work programme, which led to a baseline assessment of the cluster’s environmental performance, along with an accompanying cost-benefit analysis. The latter highlighted positive findings concerning governance of the project area, particularly in terms of more efficient working relations between cluster partners and reduced environmental problems from tourism. A toolkit of advice and guidance was prepared to help the cluster members to: share their common environmental programme; embrace ‘audit cultures’ and appreciate the value of such diagnosis; as well as comply with environmental regulations. Information tools explained how to undertake an Initial Environmental Analysis and other handbooks, management procedures, operating instructions, registration documents, and administration materials were developed too. These were prepared as flexible tools that could fit with the cluster members’ differing needs. An Information point and training services were also funded to assist SMEs during their compliance with environmental regulations and legislation. Key outcomes from the project work included increasing environmental awareness and commitment among the cluster’s public and private sectors. The cluster’s sharing of their common environmental programme helps its members to embrace ‘audit cultures’ and appreciate the value of such diagnosis, as well as comply with environmental regulations. It has also led to improvements in sustainable tourism via encouragement of resource-efficiency techniques like energy savings, sustainable mobility and waste management. Social and economic benefits resulting from such project actions for the Cerreto cluster are anticipated in the long term. The cluster itself does not act as an official environmental certification body. Instead its role focuses on using its toolkit to help its members through the various steps involved in becoming certified by acknowledged standards such as EMAS or Ecolabel. ECO-CLUSTER’s environmental management model thus can be considered to represent a Green Action Plan under ECAP, and the LIFE project’s model will be submitted in 2014 to the Italian Ecolabel and Ecoaudit Committee as an example of a clustered EMS. Useful lessons learned during the project include confirmation that certification standards can be too costly for SMEs and this hinders potential improvements in their environmental performance. Sharing costs, like audit fees, through a cluster, or similar collective approach, can help overcome financial obstacles to increasing SME’s environmental performance. Cooperation can also help mobilise new resources e.g. the ECO-CLUSTER mobilised more than € 200 000 that, most probably, would not have been used for environmental improvements in the area. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).