The economic dimension of 2000/60 directive as a tool of water resources management

Water is a social good, irreplaceable for survival, human health and economic growth with important cultural or even religious value. Availability of high quality fresh water improves the individuals’ welfare and benefits society as a whole. In this sense, water is not just a social but also a common good and access to clean water is a basic right of all. One of the innovative aspects of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is that, for the first time in EU environmental policy, a legal text proposes economic principles and measures as basic instruments for the achievement of specific environmental objectives. In this way, the Directive creates a unique opportunity and challenge, for the combination of applied research and water resources policy development. The most important economic concept that the WFD introduces, is the creation of a common framework for water resources management based on the principles of analysis and recovery of the water services cost.