The National Services Centre for Animal Registries (Centro Servizi Nazionale per le Anagrafi Animali – CSN) was established at IZSAM by Ministerial Decree of 2 March 2001. Following the Ministerial Decree of 31 January 2002, entitled “Provisions on the functioning of the bovine registry”, the Ministry of Health entrusted the CSN with the design, development and technical-operational management of the National Animal Identification and Registration Database (BDN), which became operational on 1 July 2002, as set out in the Decree.

After successfully implementing the Bovine Database, and in light of the experience gained and further guidance from the Ministry of Health, the CSN continued its work through specific annual agreements. In addition to maintaining the applications and information systems already developed, the CSN was primarily tasked with designing, developing and implementing new applications for the creation of registries covering farms and animals of all livestock species, including sheep and goats, pigs, poultry, horses, rabbits, aquaculture and heliciculture establishments. More generally, the Centre supports the management of all livestock-related facilities and the traceability of the animals concerned. At the same time, several information systems dedicated to official veterinary control activities and linked to the animal registries have been developed under the guidance of the Ministry of Health.

This led to the creation of a single portal for all national veterinary information systems (https://www.vetinfo.it/), into which more than 20 different web applications developed on behalf of the Ministry of Health have been integrated. Building on this experience, the National Information System for Pharmacovigilance and the Electronic Veterinary Prescription was developed in recent years. This project, also developed on behalf of the Ministry of Health, aims to ensure full traceability of veterinary medicines through the complete digitalisation of their management, from prescription by the veterinarian to administration to animals. This is achieved through the introduction of a fully digital prescription, which can be managed via a web application or mobile app.

The CSN also developed the new national platform for the companion animal registry (SINAC), which, following the enactment of Legislative Decree No. 134 of 5 August 2022, will become the single national registry. It will allow real-time collection, in a single national database, of all information relating to dogs, cats and ferrets (and more generally all companion animals) identified by microchip or tattoo in Italy.

The management of the animal identification and registration system by the Ministry of Health highlights the importance of the BDN from a health perspective. The BDN ensures full traceability of animals and animal products and serves as a key tool in the planning of control programmes and the management of veterinary emergencies arising from the emergence and spread of disease.

The CSN is also engaged in international cooperation activities for the preparation and installation of animal identification and registration systems in non-EU countries (Eastern Europe, South America and Africa).

On the Veterinary Information System Portal – www.vetinfo.sanita.it – developed and managed by the CSN, livestock registry operators and Competent Authorities can access a single entry point for the web applications used to manage animal registries across different species. For all applications and information systems accessible via the Portal, the CSN ensures, in accordance with Ministry of Health specifications and current legal requirements, the management and control of access, the issuance of access credentials, the definition of user profiles and permissions, and the registration and storage of information relating to the entry, updating and deletion of data by users.

Through the Portal, users can also access additional information systems developed and managed by the CSN in cooperation with the Department of Veterinary Public Health, Food Safety and Collegial Bodies for the Protection of Health at the Ministry of Health. These systems, closely integrated with the livestock registry, include:

• The Information System for managing prophylaxis activities on farms (SANAN)

• The National Information System for the notification of animal disease outbreaks (SIMAN)

• The National Veterinary Information System for Food Safety (SINVSA), which includes the National Registry of Feed Business Operators (OSM), the National Registry of Live Animal Transporters, and data management (sampling and results) for various official control plans

• The Information System for managing control plans on identification and registration (I&R), animal welfare, the use of prohibited substances, food safety on farms and checks in staging areas (Controlli)

• The Online Veterinary Medicines Directory – the online database of summaries of product characteristics for veterinary medicinal products

• The National Information System for Pharmacovigilance, a ministerial pilot project (operational in Abruzzo, Lombardy and since 2016 also in Piedmont), which aims to fully digitalise the management of veterinary medicinal products, from prescription to administration, through the implementation of the electronic veterinary prescription

• The Information System for reporting to the European Commission on co-funded activities related to zoonosis eradication and surveillance programmes (Rendicontazioni)

To assist sector operators with accessing and entering information into the Livestock Registry and the other Information Systems available via the Veterinary Information System Portal, a call centre and help desk service is available (Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00, and Saturday from 8:00 to 14:00) via the toll-free number 800 08 22 80.