This book deals with voluntary approaches between farmers and water
suppliers as an instrument to meet environmental standards, impacted by
agricultural activities, more economically efficient and environmentally
effective than by exclusive application of alternative instruments
including command-and-control approaches. The book is based largely on
the results of the research project 'Co-operative Agreements in
Agriculture as an Instrument to Improve the Economic Efficiency and
Economic Effectiveness of the European Water Policy', which was
supplemented for specific issues by key experts. The research was partly
funded by the European Commission under the Specific RTD Programme in
the Field of Environment and Climate (Contract No. ENV4-CT98-0782) and
partly by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries
in the Netherlands, the Environment Agency in England and Wales, the UK
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the Government of the
German Bundesland North Rhine- Westphalia. Additional funds for
preparing the book were obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture,
Nature Management and Fisheries in the Netherlands. The financial and
technical support received from the different organisations is
gratefully acknowledged. The editors appreciate very much the efforts
the authors have made in preparing their contributions for the book and
for the secretarial assistance provided by Mrs. Tessa van Dongen from
LEI who took responsibility for guiding the publication process and
preparing the chapters of the book. We also appreciate the support given
by Mrs. Henny Hoogervorst and Mrs. Gloria Verhey (Kluwer Academic
Publishers).