Introduction - HIV infection remains a major public health issue in several European countries. The EuroHIV program is responsible for coordinating HIV/AIDS surveillance across all 53 countries in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) European Region. Starting in 2008, this responsibility will be transferred to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm, Sweden. Method - Standardized and anonymous data on new HIV diagnoses are collected annually from national HIV/AIDS surveillance officials in the 53 European countries of the WHO European Region. Among the 27 countries of the European Union (EU) and three countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), 28 had established national HIV surveillance systems by the end of 2006. Results - In 2006, 27,259 new HIV cases were reported among these 28 EU and EFTA countries, representing a rate of 67.7 cases per million population. The majority of cases involved men (66%), and 11% of cases were diagnosed in people aged 15 to 24. Among the HIV cases reported in 2006, transmission through heterosexual intercourse accounted for the highest percentage (42%); 29% were infected through sexual contact with men (MSM), and 7% through injection drug use. Conclusion - HIV surveillance data are essential for monitoring the epidemic and evaluating public health policies. The creation of the ECDC, whose mandate is to control infectious diseases in the EU, presents a real opportunity to promote an EU-wide HIV prevention policy. (R.A.)