Europe is aiming to install meters in all member states

The European Commission is aiming at introducing cost-effective pricing of water in all European Member States through installing water meters, but hasn’t yet the legal possibility to do so. According to the Water Framework Directive (WFD, Article 9) the pricing of water is still the responsibility of individual member states.

Is new legislation really necessary and what should it look like? Is there any chance that ‘cost recovery’ on water services will be accepted in all the member states? The public initiative Right2water does not think so. What would be the consequences of water pricing in the European societies. The complexity of actual water policies will be carried out in the dossier we’re preparing for you. We ‘d like to receive and publish your comments on the issue of installing water meters and water pricing.

Setting the right water price is not so easy. How to combine protection of water resources, cost recovery, and affordability through water pricing? This topic played a central role at the seminar ‘Setting the right Price’ at 4 December 2014 in Brussels, organized by Aqua Publica Europea (APE), the association of public water operators. It turned out, not surprisingly, a difficult question to answer as the situation and strategy vary a great deal across the European member states.

You can address your statements to waternewseurope@gmail.com