In order to promote the care of patients with COPD in Germany a national guideline clearing project was initiated jointly by autonomous corporate bodies of the German health care system. Following a systematic search of literature data bases between 1992 and 2002, 20 guidelines were identified that met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated with the German Checklist for Methodological Guideline Appraisal. Following this, a multidisciplinary expert group appointed by the German Guideline Clearinghouse (Leitlinien-Clearingstelle im Arztlichen Zentrum fur Qualitat in der Medizin, AZQ) reviewed the suitability of these guidelines for the use in the German health care system. Referring to methodological aspects, criteria were best met by the guideline of the Veteran's Health Administration/Department of Defense (US), followed by the one of the Deutsche Atemwegsliga and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Pneumologie. Aiming at the production respectivly a revision of a German national guideline for COPD the expert group agreed on recommendations organized in 19 chapters. Among others these strengthened the role of a precise definition of COPD based primarily on the pathogenesis, of a subtle description of all diagnostic and therapeutic tools and of a detailed description of quality assurance and quality management. The feasability of recommendations were demonstrated by examples chosen from the evaluated guidelines. Additionally the presented findings may be used as steering tools in the German Health care system.