Title page
Contents
Abstract 4
Résumé 4
Acknowledgements 5
Acronyms and abbreviations 6
Executive Summary 9
1. Background 10
1.1. Proposed discussion questions 11
2. Polluter Pays principle: state of play 12
2.1. The Polluter Pays principle: a concept evolving over time 12
2.2. Economic instruments to address pollution on water bodies and the application of the PPP in the WFD 15
2.3. Application of the Polluter Pays principle in Member States 16
2.4. Disproportionate costs 20
3. The Polluter Pays principle under the WFD: coherence with other policy considerations 23
3.1. The Polluter Pays principle vis-à-vis policies that potentially affect water quality 23
3.2. How the Polluter Pays principle fits into the new context regarding water pollution control 25
3.3. Extended producer responsibility 28
3.4. Mitigation hierarchy 30
4. The practical limitations of the Polluter Pays principle: Diffuse pollution 32
4.1. Issues with economic instruments to recover the costs of diffuse water pollution 34
4.2. Options to prevent and recover the costs of diffuse water pollution from the polluters 35
5. The practical limitations of the Polluter Pays principle: legacy pollution 41
5.1. Issues with legacy pollution 41
5.2. Issues with corporate financial security 42
5.3. Options in line with Polluter Pays principle for legacy pollution 44
Annex A. Water Framework Directive and its daughter Directives 48
References 50
Table 2.1. Selected economic instruments in the context of the WFD 16
Table 2.2. Instruments applying the Polluter Pays principle currently in place in EU MS 16
Table 2.3. Allocation of revenues from water pollution charges 19
Boxes
Box 2.1. Setting the boundaries of the PPP: a legal perspective 14
Box 2.2. Taxes on nitrates and/or pesticides 17
Box 2.3. Tradable phosphate right system in the Netherlands 18
Box 3.1. Key pressure on European waters 23
Box 3.2. Setting acceptable levels of water risks 27
Box 3.3. Towards an EPR scheme to recover costs of advanced wastewater treatment in Germany 29
Box 3.4. The Netherlands' "Chain approach" to pharmaceutical residues in water 31
Box 4.1. Tackling diffuse pollution from agriculture, lessons from Scotland 39
Box 5.1. Extend liability to directors and officers: lessons from Canada 44
Box 5.2. Funds for ELD liabilities: lessons from Spain 45