Safeguarding European Water Resources (Communication)

Water pricing on the basis of the polluter pays principle leads to the best possible use of this scarce resource. Limits on industrial emissions based on the best available techniques are important in order to protect EU waters against chemical pollution and to prevent the distortion of competition in the European market. EU-wide uniform standards of water consumption for “water-related” products are misconceived because the EU has both water-poor and water-rich regions and because excessive conservation of water can cause hygiene problems in water-rich regions.