Optimising water reuse in the EU : public consultation analysis report

The online public consultation was held from July 30th, 2014 until November 7th, 2014.The aim of the public consultation was to gather informed opinions and suggestions from a wide range of stakeholders on how to optimise water reuse in the EU. In particular, there were specific questions related to: - Perception of benefits of and barriers to water reuse; and - Opinions on possible EU-level measures to promote water reuse while ensuring protection of the environment and human health. The online stakeholder consultation was hosted by the European Commission (DG Environment) and accessible to all at the following website: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/water_reuse_en.htm. Respondents could provide answers to the questionnaire either as an 'interested individual/citizen/consumer' or as a 'stakeholder/expert' representing an organisation. A background document presenting key elements to fully understand the scope and content of the questions was annexed to the questionnaire and the respondents were invited to read it carefully before filling in the questionnaire. The majority of the questions adopted a "multiple choice" approach, where the respondent was requested to express his/her opinion on a graduated scale, usually a 4 or 5 point-scale, concerning levels of benefits/barriers and expected effectiveness of policy options. The questionnaire also included open questions for the respondents to specify some answers or to develop their opinions on the policy options.