The Veterinary Operational Centre for Epidemiology, Programming and Information (COVEPI) was recognized as a National Reference Centre by the Ministerial Decree of 2 November 1991. In June 2009 the Italian Ministry of Health has increased his competences and now it is namely National Reference Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology, Programming, Information and Risk Analysis. The Centre's tasks are as follows:

• drawing up emergency plans, surveillance plans and operating protocols;
• analysing data and publishing the results;
• developing, standardizing and promoting procedures and protocols for epidemiological analysis and surveillance activities;
• the development of computer systems, at national and international level, for handling data, epidemiological analysis and surveillance activities;
• risk analyses with reference to animal health, food safety and animal welfare;
• training in the field of veterinary epidemiology and epidemiological surveillance, both at national and international level.
• research and experimentation in the field of epidemiological surveillance systems and networks, techniques of risk analysis and the application of innovative techniques for epidemiological analysis of data, such as geographical information systems.

As regards epidemiosurveillance, COVEPI also provides consultancy and services to international organizations such as OIE, the FAO and the WHO, to institutions of the European Commission, to the veterinary services of the Regions and of Local Health Units, to other Experimental Zooprophylactic Institutes, to national and local non-health institutions (other Ministries, Departments, NAS etc.) and animal rearers and consumers associations.

Head: Dr. Rossella Lelli