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). Benjamin Görlach and Eduard Interwies investigated many of the economic aspects – such as the cost recovery for water services, incentive pricing for water, or the selection of cost-effective measures. The study to the German Federal Environmental Agency was published.

Görlach, Benjamin and Eduard Interwies 2004: Assessing Environmental and Resource Costs in the Water Framework Directive. The Case of Germany. Ecologic, Berlin.