List of Tables
List of Figures
Acronyms
Glossary
Acknowledgements
1 Executive Summary
2 Introduction
2.1 Background
2.2 The Water Framework Directive in the context of previous EU legislation
2.3 Objectives of the present Project
2.4 Scope and outline
3 Methodologies for the assessment of Costs and Benefits
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Cost-Benefit analysis of WFD implementation
3.2.1 GAP analysis results in scenarios
3.2.2 Purpose and accuracy of the assessments
3.2.3 Availability of tools and indicator data
3.3 Methodological issues related to costs assessment
3.3.1 Issues related to GAP analysis
3.3.2 Definition of costs
3.4 Methodological issues related to benefits assessment
3.4.1 Environmental and other benefit categories
3.4.2 What are the environmental benefits of the WFD?
3.4.3 How to assess and value environmental benefits?
3.4.4 Scarcity rents: main issues
3.5 Aggregation and comparison of costs and benefits
3.5.1 Aggregation over time, time horizon
3.5.2 Aggregation of benefits over water bodies
3.5.3 Indicators to compare costs and benefits
3.5.4 Definition of the spatial level of analysis
3.5.5 Equity issues
3.6 Summary of key points
4 Overview of studies and reports on costs and benefits of WFD implementation in the European Union
4.1 Approach
4.2 Overview of past and planned studies and reports by type and Member State
4.3 Available aggregated data are very first estimates
4.4 Summary of key points
5 Factors determining costs and benefits of achieving "good ecological status"
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Factors determining costs of achieving "good ecological status"
5.2.1 Introduction
5.2.2 Current information
5.2.3 Current efforts in water management
5.2.4 Costs of implementation of pre-WFD water directives in relation to the WFD
5.2.5 Costs of the implementation of the WFD
5.2.6 Uncertainty
5.2.7 Analytical review
5.2.8 Evaluation and lessons learned
5.3 Factors determining benefits of achieving "good ecological status"
5.3.1 Introduction
5.3.2 Current information
5.3.3 Generic overview of total benefits
5.3.4 Overview of the factors that determine benefits
5.3.5 GAP analysis and magnitude of the improvement of the status
5.3.6 Will benefits continue to increase as water status improves?
5.3.7 Water bodies affected and relevant benefit categories
5.3.8 The number of people affected
5.3.9 Preferences, willingness to pay and income of the people affected
5.3.10 Avoided costs for water management
5.3.11 Need for guidelines and indicator data to facilitate benefit assessment
5.3.12 Evaluation and lessons learned
5.4 Diverse contexts to compare costs and benefits
5.4.1 Discussion of overall costs and benefits in context of RIA, UK
5.4.2 Assessment of different ambition levels for WFD (NL, CBA, 2006)
5.4.3 Assessment of specific measures (UK, EA 2003)
5.4.4 Conclusions and lessons learned
5.5 Summary of key points
6 Prospects for wider use of economic assessments in the water sector
6.1 Lessons from success stories
6.2 An accounting framework with individual components
6.3 Share results and experiences
6.4 Conclusions
7 Administrative Costs and Benefits of the Water Framework Directive
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Current information
7.2.1 General
7.2.2 Administrative costs of the WFD in the Netherlands
7.3 Analytical review
7.4 Summary of key points
8 Costs and Benefits of specific WFD Measures
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Fish migration
8.2.1 Introduction
8.2.2 Overview of costs and benefits of fish migration measures
8.2.3 Analytical review
8.2.4 Evaluation and lessons learned
8.3 Wetlands
8.3.1 Introduction
8.3.2 Overview of costs and benefits of wetlands
8.3.3 Analytical review
8.3.4 Evaluation and lessons learned
8.4 Summary of key points
9 Costs and Benefits of Specific WFD Measures related to Agriculture
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Costs and Benefits of improving irrigation methods and management
9.2.1 Current information
9.2.2 Analytical review
9.2.3 Evaluation and lessons learned
9.3 Costs and Benefits of specific measures to reduce the diffuse pollution of Phosphorous from agriculture
9.3.1 Current information
9.3.2 Analytical review
9.3.3 Evaluation and lessons learned
10 Recommendations
10.1 Economic analysis and tools
10.2 Specific issues and measures
10.3 Agriculture and water use
10.4 Agriculture and phosphorous
10.5 General strategic recommendations
11 Conclusions
11.1 The current status of the use of cost and benefit analysis in the Member States
11.2 The review of costs and benefits
11.3 Specific issues and measures
11.4 The way forward for the further use of economic tools in the WFD
REFERENCES
Annex 1: Background to the data on benefits of WFD in Table 9