Cost recovery of water services in agriculture: an operative framework

“Cost recovery” is a principle adopted by the Directive 60/2000/CE as a guide for economic evalua- tions, regarding water services. However, its application, in the first round of the basin plan elaboration, was unsatisfactory. The application of this principle has found obstacles on the technical, institutional, and conceptual point of view. The article discusses the practical applicability of a conceptual model of cost recovery, with reference to the various alternative ways to cover the cost of irrigation and drainage services, especially in light of expected future steps in the implementation of the Directive. In order to assess the feasibility of the conceptual model, an operational accounting framework was developed and tested (through interviews with experts), in order to assess the implementation strategies.