Ofwat issues Position Paper on the Water Framework Directive

Ofwat has recently issued its Position Paper on the EU Water Framework Directive. Working closely with Defra and the Environment Agency (both of whom are managing the implementation process of the Directive) on the implementation of the Directive, Ofwat commented in its Position Paper that the Directive’s implementation should comply with the following key requirements:

• adopt a realistic approach to the environmental objective of the Directive and its pace of delivery.

• ensure that all the measures to be taken under the Directive will be cost effective and that the cost burden will be spread in a fair and proportionate way between all sectors of the water industry, in line with the "polluter pays" principle. In particular, Ofwat stressed the importance of carrying out a cost effectiveness analysis on the measures to be taken under the Directive.