From 1990 to 2006, four national prevalence surveys (ENP) of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) provided regular estimates of the incidence of HAIs in French healthcare facilities (HFs). The 2006 ENP aimed to involve as many HFs as possible in order to highlight their commitment to measuring infection risk. This goal was largely achieved, with 2,337 HC participating—representing 93.6% of hospital beds in France—and 358,353 patients included. The survey raised awareness among HC and strongly mobilized them around a project to monitor HIs and the use of antimicrobial agents. The ENP updated baseline data useful for guiding HAI control programs at the national and regional levels, as well as the actions of the national plan to preserve antibiotic efficacy. The decline in the prevalence of HAI observed since 2001, particularly for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), was encouraging and suggested a positive impact of the HAI control programs implemented in France in the 1990s. However, in 2006, these infections still affected 1 in 20 hospitalized patients, a situation that justifies continuing the efforts undertaken to date against these infections. Regarding antibiotics, the mixed results observed concerning the prevalence of patients treated with antibiotics called for strengthening hospital-based actions aimed at preserving their effectiveness. The renewal of the survey is part of the 2009–2013 national program to combat nosocomial infections. The ENP represents a unique opportunity to raise healthcare facilities’ awareness of nosocomial infection surveillance and their adoption of standardized tools. The 2012 ENP is situated within a European context. The prevalence of healthcare-associated infections in France in 2006 was at the lower end of the rates reported by other European surveys, but methodological differences significantly limited comparisons. Following a recommendation from the European Council, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC—Stockholm) is inviting Member States to participate in a European prevalence survey. Therefore, data from a sample of healthcare facilities participating in the 2012 ENP will be transmitted to the ECDC and will represent France’s participation in this survey. The facilities in the sample whose data will be transmitted to the ECDC will be informed of their specific status. They will be subject to regular monitoring to ensure compliance with the timeline requirements imposed by the ECDC. The ENP is part of the strategic focus on “optimizing data collection and surveillance” to prioritize NI and evaluate their prevention. The development of the protocol and tools focused on ensuring the comparability of results with those of previous ENPs while taking European requirements into account. Furthermore, since the protocol and methods of the French ENP are very similar to the European protocol, the methods remain similar to those of the 2001 and 2006 ENPs, which facilitates the work of investigators who have already participated in previous surveys. The 2012 ENP will take place from Monday, May 14, to Friday, June 29, 2012. As in 2006, the 2012 ENP is being conducted under the auspices of the Network for the Investigation and Surveillance of Healthcare-Associated Infections (Raisin), implemented by the regional health agencies (ES), coordinated by the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) at the national level, and the Interregional Coordination Centers for the Control of Healthcare-Associated Infections (CClin) at the interregional level. (R.A.)