Recovering the Costs of Water Services in the People’s Republic of China: Lessons from Article 9 of the European Union Water Framework Directive

The cost recovery of water services is becoming known as an important element for water management internationally. The Water Framework Directive is a leading document in implementing these economic instruments in the European Union and it is also a good framework to refer to when the People's Republic of China reforms its water price policies and its recovery of the costs of water services. By providing a comparative study of the backgrounds and contents of costs recovery between Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive and the water management-related systems in the People's Republic of China, this article aims to look for some legal solutions in the European framework that can be useful for the water management of the People's Republic of China.