Promoting Effective Payments for Forest Ecosystem Services

The LIFE Promoting Forest Payments for Ecosystem Services project aims to gather, summarise and integrate the knowledge and expertise already available at national and EU level on private and public payments for ecosystem services (Payments for Ecosystem Services, PES) and similar schemes. We are developing appropriate policy and business recommendations on the integration and potential of these schemes, with the aim of contributing to the sustainable provision of forest ecosystem services in Europe and to achieving the key objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy.

PES schemes are considered a promising economic instrument for diversifying the income of forest owners and rural communities while simultaneously promoting biodiversity and climate protection. However, the benefits arising from the provision of ecosystem services are rarely recognised, and the application of such schemes is often limited to small-scale initiatives, frequently implemented as pilot projects.

Project Steps:

• Examine the scope and potential for integration into the EU funding programme and the state aid framework.
• Analyse existing gaps and opportunities within the two frameworks.
  • Conduct a scoping study of Europe’s institutional landscape.
  • Consult with key stakeholders.
  • Carry out a scenario-based policy evaluation process.

The project thus builds on the findings of the key Forest PES Horizon projects (SINCERE, InnoForESt and Nobel).