Water Pricing in the EU: A Review

We believe that within this frame water pricing can substantially support the efficient use of water
and therefore help leading to relaxation of water stress situations. On the other hand water quality
and quantity cannot be managed separately and water pricing therefore has to consider the polluter
pays and precautionary principle. This requires therefore the internalisation of environmental costs.
In this respect cost recovery could be a powerful tool not only to increase the effectiveness and
efficiency of water systems and to move from supply to demand management, but to help
preventing deterioration, enhancing and protecting the status of our waters and finally achieving
sustainable water use in quantitative and qualitative terms. The main and important goals of EU
water policy are the protection and improvement of our aquatic environment and the contribution to
sustainable, balanced and equitable water use.
Water Pricing is one in the series of possible tools beside others to help to achieve these goals.
EEB's former stagiaire Eva Roth has prepared a background paper, which provides a basis for
further discussion and assessments of water pricing policies. We would like to thank her very much
for her helpful work.

by Eva Roth, EEB, January 2001, Publication Number 2001/002

Creator	Editor responsible: John Hontelez, European Environmental Bureau (EEB), 34 Boulevard de Waterloo, B-1000 Brussels - Tel.: +32 2 289 1090 - Fax: +32 2 289 1099 (email: info@eeb.org)
Publisher	Editor responsible: John Hontelez, European Environmental Bureau (EEB), 34 Boulevard de Waterloo, B-1000 Brussels - Tel.: +32 2 289 1090 - Fax: +32 2 289 1099
Type of document	Report
Rights	Public
File link	n/a
File link local	ReviewWaterPricing2001.pdf (application/force-download, 122 Kb)
Source of information	European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Keyword(s)	water pricing, water systems, efficiency
Subject(s)	AGRICULTURE , FINANCE-ECONOMY , HYDRAULICS - HYDROLOGY , INDUSTRY , INFRASTRUCTURES , METHTODOLOGY - STATISTICS - DECISION AID , POLICY-WATER POLICY AND WATER MANAGEMENT , PREVENTION AND NUISANCES POLLUTION , WATER DEMAND , WATER QUALITY
Geographical coverage	n/a