37. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure the application of the ‘polluter pays’ and ‘user pays’ principles by means of transparent and effective pricing schemes implemented in all water-using sectors that aim at the recovery of the costs of water services, including environmental and resource costs, as set down in the Water Framework Directive; underlines however that social issues should be taken into account when setting water tariffs and that clean water should be available at an affordable price for human needs; f ...[+++]urthermore, calls on the Commission and the Member States to assess and revise subsidies harmful for water and to develop and introduce further economic instruments to reduce environmentally-detrimental activity and incentivise more sustainable use of water resources; stresses that water pricing should reflect the environmental impact of wastewater treatment; notes that, although the political will exists, the economic crisis and restrictions on public spending make it difficult for local and regional authorities to finance greywater treatment projects and therefore calls on the Commission to ensure appropriate financing of wastewater treatment plants; calls on the Commission to develop a strategy for internalising the external costs incurred through water consumption, water pollution and wastewater treatment;

37. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure the application of the ‘polluter pays’ and ‘user pays’ principles by means of transparent and effective pricing schemes implemented in all water-using sectors that aim at the recovery of the costs of water services, including environmental and resource costs, as set down in the Water Framework Directive; underlines however that social issues should be taken into account when setting water tariffs and that clean water should be available at an affordable price for human needs; f ...[+++]urthermore, calls on the Commission and the Member States to assess and revise subsidies harmful for water and to develop and introduce further economic instruments to reduce environmentally-detrimental activity and incentivise more sustainable use of water resources; stresses that water pricing should reflect the environmental impact of wastewater treatment; notes that, although the political will exists, the economic crisis and restrictions on public spending make it difficult for local and regional authorities to finance greywater treatment projects and therefore calls on the Commission to ensure appropriate financing of wastewater treatment plants; calls on the Commission to develop a strategy for internalising the external costs incurred through water consumption, water pollution and wastewater treatment;

C. whereas the Commission communication is an important step towards a sustainable water supply in Europe; whereas the communication should facilitate the implementation of Article 9 of the EU Water Framework Directive as regards recovery of costs and the use of economic instruments in order to encourage water-friendly use (in terms of quality and quantity) on the part of all users and to help achieve the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive; whereas Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive requires Member States to ensure by 2010 that water-pricing policies provide adequate incentives to use water ...[+++]resources efficiently and an adequate contribution of the different water uses to the recovery of the costs of water services,

Welcomes the Commission Communication on pricing policies for enhancing the sustainability of water resources and agrees with the Commission that an appropriate water-pricing policy has an essential role to play in encouraging more efficient and sustainable use of water in agriculture which will enable pressure on the environment to be reduced and resources for other competing uses to be released.

13. Welcomes the Commission Communication on pricing policies for enhancing the sustainability of water resources and agrees with the Commission that an appropriate water-pricing policy has an essential role to play in encouraging more efficient and sustainable use of water in agriculture which will enable pressure on the environment to be reduced and resources for other competing uses to be released;

Concern for indigenous peoples has also been integrated into Commission Guidelines on development cooperation concerning sustainable water resources.