The Payments for Ecosystem Services (Forests for Water) (PESFOR-W) was a COST Action (CA15206) that operated from October 18, 2016, to April 17, 2021. Its primary goal was to enhance Europe’s capacity to employ Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) as a tool to meet the EU Water Framework Directive’s objectives. This involved promoting targeted tree planting to mitigate agricultural diffuse pollution affecting water bodies. PESFOR-W aimed to consolidate insights from existing woodland-for-water PES schemes across Europe. It sought to standardize methods for assessing both the environmental impact and cost-effectiveness of woodland measures designed to improve water quality. Additionally, the Action worked to establish a European network to facilitate, expand, and enhance PES schemes. This included integrating other ecosystem services and aligning with broader forest-carbon policy objectives. The initiative was chaired by Dr. Gregory Valatin, with Prof. Gebhard Schueler serving as Vice-Chair. The Management Committee comprised representatives from various European countries, including Bulgaria, which was represented by Dr. Alexander Chikalanov and Prof. Mariyana Lyubenova. For more detailed information and access to related resources, you can visit the official PESFOR-W page on the Forest Research website.