The future Water Framework Directive (WFD) revision announced by the European Commission could create increased cost burdens on households and businesses through their water bills, by shifting depollution costs from mining companies onto water services, EurEau warns in its feedback to the WFD call for evidence.
The feedback, available here, recalls the very concrete improvements to Europe’s water resources which the WFD achieved over the past 25 years, and calls on the Commission to prioritise thoroughness over speed in preparing its impact assessment for a future revision. To date, EurEau has not seen compelling evidence that a revision of the WFD is the right answer to the issues raised by the mining sector.
As the examples in our feedback attest, loosening water protection rules is likely to do more harm than good, with water users and taxpayers left footing the bill.
This is why we urge the Commission to use utmost caution in deciding whether and how to revise the WFD. If a revision does prove necessary, its scope should be strictly limited and tied explicitly to Member States’ obligation to safeguard drinking water resources.