The role of the farm veterinarian is defined in Articles 3 and 4 of the Decree of the Minister of Health of December 7, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as Ministerial Decree - MD) on epidemio-surveillance networks, tasks, responsibilities and professional requirements of farm veterinarians (Official Journal No. 29 of February 5, 2018).
The operator shall be entitled to appoint only veterinarians registered in a dedicated national list kept by the National Federation of Italian Veterinarians (FNOVI). FNOVI, in turn, shall check fulfillment of the requirements.
The farm veterinarian appointed by the operator may coincide with the veterinarian already employed by the operator or working within the relevant supply chain or within the association to which the operator belongs, provided that such veterinarian meets the requirements laid down in the MD. Any conflict of interest shall be declared and managed.
A farm veterinarian is a private veterinarian voluntarily appointed by the operator (a food business operator raising food-producing animals), with a view to increasing the health and production level of the farm.
The farm veterinarian shall perform his/her functions based on a formal relationship established with the operator through the signing, by both the parties, of the designation scheme referred to in Annex 3 to the MD. The farm veterinarian shall act as the operator’s consultant and shall be aware of the farm health and production status as they continuously monitor the farm.
Based on risk assessment and in case of any critical issues, the farm veterinarian shall recommend suitable corrective measures to the operator, indicating the timeframe for their implementation and ensuring traceability.
The recent national legislation on animal health (Legislative Decree no. 136 of 2022) implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 (Animal Health Law) recognizes the crucial role of the farm veterinarian in the verification, assessment and recording of the information and data collected by the operator as part of the mandatory epidemio-surveillance activity for the early detection of diseases, aimed at ensuring the well-being of the animals owned.
Data shall be collected by compiling the checklists available in the Classyfarm.it section on the Vetinfo.it website (link).
Training for farm veterinarians
Article 3, paragraph 2, point b) of Ministerial Decree of December 7, 2017 refers to specific training as one of the essential requirements of farm veterinarians. Therefore, all aspiring farm veterinarians shall attend a specific ECM training course according to the content and minimum duration set out in Annex 2 to the above-mentioned MD.
A national public list of veterinarians who meet the criteria and requirements laid down in the MD is available at FNOVI.
Consult:
- MD of December 7, 2017 on epidemio-surveillance networks, tasks, responsibilities and professional requirements of farm veterinarians (Official Journal No. 29 of February 5, 2018)
- Veterinary Operating Manual of the farm
- Circular and list of trainers
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