The 5-year project, involving 13 partners from Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, and with a lead partner in Saarbrücken, seeks to develop two interrelated issues of sustainable water management and the involvement of stakeholders and the civil society in the decision-making process - both issues were recently integrated into the Water Framework Directive. The overall objectives are to develop a sustainable, participatory and integrated water management approach in the Rhine river basin and to promote solidarity among users and local residents, based on principles of democracy and the respect of shared natural (water) resources. In the long term the aim is naturally to change habits in water usage both on the river and domestically. The project contains 5 components: i) information and awareness-raising; ii) testing of approaches in selected cases; iii) consultation of stakeholders and the civil society; iv) dissemination of project results; iv) general project management. RHINENET signals a creative transnational approach to water management, for which the range of actions envisaged include the organisation of cultural and music events, development of educational guides and promotional materials, information days, pilot actions for monitoring protection zones and classifying wetlands, and various communication activities targeted at local populations. Achievements: Conclusions: Public consultation and participation in a transnational context is very difficult (language problems, cultural problems, reluctance of administration etc.); One of the major problems seems the harmonisation of international standards and the coordination of measures across boarder; Outcomes / key documents; Report: Leitfaden Bürgerbeteiligung (German title); Report: Public Participation in the Rhine River Basin ; Flyers, leaflets, report on the different projects; Information and tool on WFD game; (www.wfdatwork.nl)