The purpose of Acovene is to improve and maintain standards in veterinary nurse education via the accreditation and ongoing monitoring of veterinary nurse programs within Europe.

The first programs were accredited in June 2007.
Acovene works in collaboration with national boards and regulatory agencies where appropriate.

The accreditation system of Acovene is being supported by the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), the UEVP (Union of Veterinary Practitioners), the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA) and Vetnnet (Veterinary European Transnational Network for Nursing Education and Training).

ACOVENE ensures that all accredited schools meet minimum standards of quality in terms of their resources and facilities. Accredited programs must also address an agreed Dossier of Competencies, thus ensuring that veterinary nurses graduating from an accredited school possess known standards of knowledge and skill.

This means that potential employers can be assured of veterinary nurses who are educated to a known standard. This, in turn, should facilitate greater ease of employment across national boundaries within the EU.