Control Capacity — European Union

Abstract

In this section the focus is on the control capacity of the water supply sector and specifically on the role of the EU in strengthening this capacity. What do we mean by control capacity? by using the term ‘control capacity’ we refer to the capacity of the water suppliers to influence behavior of the farmers. Several indicators for this concept can be distinguished: capital, human resources, information, time, money, (legal) rights, trust. the EU, for example, could support water suppliers in Europe by increasing one of these resources of the water suppliers. In very simple and quite general terms we might say that there are two options for EU action: (1) the EU commits the member states to do’ something’ via a directive or (2) the EU only facilitates, there is no duty for the member states. As we will see, perhaps the most important contribution that the EU can make to improving the capacity to deal with the problem of agricultural pollution of drinking water supplies lies in the area of promoting and assisting the building of networks of actors around this issue at the different levels of European, national and regional or local decision making. It is in this combination of regulatory and networking activities that the EU contribution to increased control capacity is to be sought.