May 25, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. Italy has ratified the Convention on the European Forest Institute (EFI). The Convention on EFI has now been ratified by a total of 19 European countries, EFI said in a statement received by Lesprom Network. The ratifying countries are now Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK. The ratifying countries meet every three years in EFI Council. The next Council meeting is scheduled for 2011 and it will be held in Croatia. Also the chairmanship of the Council will then shift from Spain to Croatia. The European Forest Institute is an international organisation established by European States. It is the leading institution conducting and advocating forest research and facilitating forest research networking at the pan-European level.