07/10/2005 - A 'Polluter
pays' approach, based on taxes and levies,
reduces volumes of polluted water and offers
the most cost effective route to compliance
with EU legislation, according to a new report
from the European Environment Agency (EEA)
based in Copenhagen. The pilot study, 'Effectiveness
of Urban Wastewater Treatment Policies in
Selected Countries', analyses successes and
failures in policy for Denmark, Estonia, France,
the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. It explains
the relationship between effective wastewater
management and the policies behind them.
Water pollution caused by 'untreated' wastewater
continues despite three decades of efforts
to clean up European surface waters. Several
EU Member States have not satisfied the requirements
of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive
(UWWTD), originally adopted in 1991 to cut
waste water pollution by 2000.
The Dutch model, which is based on high water
pollution levies and full costing of sewerage,
comes close to satisfying the legislation
and is the most cost-effective of the examples
in the report. The report suggests that the
absence of water pollution taxes in France
and Spain will result in these countries failing
to reach the 2005 targets cost-effectively.
Denmark complies fully with the Directive,
with discharges decreasing by 90%.
"The Dutch example shows the financial
benefits of finding the 'upstream' solution
to tackling waste water pollution rather than
paying for clean-up at the end," says
Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of
the European Environment Agency.
Both new Member States in the study, Poland
and Estonia, have until 2010 to comply. However,
both countries will need considerable EU support
if they are going to hit the targets. In several
member states water pollution control costs
have absorbed more than 50% of all environmental
investment in recent decades.
New Member States are eligible for considerable
EU subsidies (75-85% of cost) from EU Cohesion
and Structural Funds. It is estimated that
increased support of between 40-50 euro per
person will be needed if these countries are
to meet the deadlines.
"The risk is that the new Member States
will be tempted to build treatment plants
instead of taking the more cost-effective
path of tackling the problem at source,"
says Professor Jacqueline McGlade.
Notes for Editors:
EU Cohesion & Structural Funds:
The Cohesion policy aims at reducing regional
disparities in economic and social development
in the European Union, by strengthening a
harmonious, balanced and sustainable development
of economic activities and the development
of employment and human resources. The Cohesion
policy absorbs approximately one third of
the EU budget.
Policy Effectiveness Evaluations:
Policy effectiveness evaluation raises questions
about environmental policies: Are policies
working? Are they worth the money invested
in them, and if not how can they be improved?
The EEA has identified policy effectiveness
evaluation as a priority area, aiming to measure
and to demonstrate the results of policies
in order to justify them against broader policy
objectives, and thus to support informed decision
making. With the aim of gaining practical
experience in doing policy effectiveness evaluations
and to provide support in selected policy
areas, the EEA has carried out pilot studies
on the effectiveness of packaging waste management
systems, and on wastewater policies.
About the EEA
The European Environment Agency is the leading
public body in Europe dedicated to providing
sound, independent information on the environment
to policy-makers and the public. The EEA has
been operational in Copenhagen since 1994.
