In 1999 and 2002, the EURADOS Working Group on Environmental Monitoring organised two European intercomparison exercises of national network systems used to provide early warning in case of a nuclear accident. In total, 12 European countries, represented by more than 40 scientists, participated in these two intercomparisons with more than 35 different dose rate detectors. In addition, an in situ gamma spectrometry intercomparison was performed by a group of European scientists during the 2002 exercise. Results of these spectrometry measurements will be reported elsewhere. This report summarises the results of the second intercomparison, performed in 2002, at the environmental dosimetry facilities of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany. The unique combination of the ultra-low background Underground Laboratory (UDO) and two free-field sites (a floating platform on a lake showing an almost pure cosmic radiation field and a free-field gamma ray irradiation facility) provide the particular opportunity to precisely quantify the inherent background of the detectors and to calibrate them almost free of any background and traceable to PTB's primary standards. In addition, the intercomparison comprised investigations on the energy and dose rate dependence of the detectors' response to gamma radiation as well as on the response to cosmic radiation. Finally, the sensitivity of the detector systems to small dose rate variations, similar to that caused by a passing overhead radioactive plume, was studied under realistic free-field conditions. Following the Council Directive 96/29/EURATOM, the participants of the 2002 intercomparison were asked to report their results in terms of the operational quantity ambient dose equivalent, H*(10). Although the verification of the individual calibrations showed smaller discrepancies than those in the 1999 intercomparison, in a few cases, these discrepancies would be still unacceptably high in the case of a real emergency situation as demonstrated by the plume results. This shows the clear need for further efforts towards a European harmonisation in environmental dosimetry. For this purpose, a further intercomparison shall be held at the PTB in 2006, especially with the participation of new members of the European Union. © The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.