Data. Every year, the data centre of the Ministry of Economic Affairs processes over 21 million registrations (this number based on the figures for 2012). An Identification and Registration (I&R) system for livestock has been set up in accordance with EU regulations. All data on cattle, sheep, goats and pigs are registered here. Anyone owning at least one of the above-named animals is legally obliged to identify it and register it in the I&R databank. This databank contains for every animal an identification code, the date of birth, sex, hair colour, the mother’s identification code, the numbers of every company where the animal has been, the dates of all relocations and the date of death or slaughter. In the event of an infectious disease or a threat to public health, the animals and their provenance can be quickly traced on the basis of these data.