Minister Doyle welcomed EFI Council in Dublin

Minister of State for Forestry Andrew Doyle TD addressed the Council of the European Forest Institute in its meeting at Dublin Castle today. Ireland holds the Chairmanship of the Council for the period 2017–2020, with Professor Ted Farrell as Chair.

Minister Doyle said he was pleased to see EFI grow and develop. Ireland has been actively involved in the institute’s work from the early days on. The Minister went on to say:

-- One of the focuses of the EFI’s work has been its close engagement and interaction with European policy decision-makers, stakeholders, policy institutions and EFI's member organisations. In this regard the EFI is moving forward the positive agenda around Europe’s forests and the contribution they make to society and the economy. It brings valuable science-based knowledge and information to the attention of stakeholders in a format which is readily usable in areas such as forests and climate change, forest biomass and carbon neutrality and other topical areas into the policy arena.

EFI Board and the Council are meeting in Dublin this week. The Board of the EFI is responsible for establishing and keeping under review the overall research framework and the strategy of the Institute. It also supervises the Secretariat. The Council is the highest decision making body of the Institute and it consists of representatives of the Member countries. It meets in ordinary session every three years. Ireland holds the Chairmanship of the Council for the period 2017–2020.

Read the full press release by the Government of Ireland, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine here.