Declaration

I hereby declare that this thesis is my own composition, that the work described is my own except where assistance is explicitly acknowledged, and that it has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. An investigation of regulatory efficiency with reference to the EU Water Framework Directive: an application to Scottish Agriculture The Water Framework Directive (WFD) has the stated objective of delivering good status (GS) for Europe’s surface waters and groundwaters. But meeting GS is cost dependent, and in some water bodies pollution abatement costs may be high or judged as disproportionate. The definition and assessment of disproportionate costs is central for the justification of time-frame derogations and/or lowering the environmental objectives (standards) for compliance at a water body. European official guidance is discretionary about the interpretation of disproportionate costs which consequently can be interpreted and applied differently across Member States. The aim of this research is to clarify the definition of disproportionality and to convey