The implementation of the Water Framework Directive is one of the main items in the field of environmental protection. As a main novelty, the Directive foresees the integration of economic aspects into water-related decision making. However, current practice in Germany does not always match the definitions and approaches for economic evaluation developed at EU level, as Benjamin Görlach and Eduard Interwies note in this article "What is the Value of Water? Assessing Environmental and Resource Costs in the Water Framework Directive."

The valuation of environmental and resource costs plays a central role for the implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive (WFD). Many of the economic aspects of this implementation process are directly or indirectly related to the assessment – such as the cost recovery for water services, incentive pricing for water, or the selection of cost-effective measures. In an article for the journal "Ecological Economy" (Ökologisches Wirtschaften), Benjamin Görlach and Eduard Interviews discuss how the conclusions of the European Working Group DG Eco 2 on environmental and resource costs can be applied in the German context.

The article summarises main results of the research project “Environmental and Resource Costs in the Water Framework Directive: the Case of Germany” conducted by Ecologic on behalf of the German Federal Environment Agency.

The final report for this research project can be downloaded in German and English: 

• Die Ermittlung von Umwelt- und Ressourcenkosten nach der Wasserrahmenrichtlinie - die Situation in Deutschland [pdf, 320 KB, German]
• Assessing Environmental and Resource Costs in the Water Framework Directive: the Case of Germany [pdf, 303 kB, English]