According to the aim of the Treaty of Rome from 1957 which postulated the free movement of workers throughout the European Union, the European Board of Psychiatry in the UEMS (European Union of Medical Specialists) carried out a comprehensive survey of training in psychiatry, including all member countries in order to evaluate the present state of training in psychiatry in each. The survey should indicate whether the training requirements [UEMS Section Psychiatry. Charter on training of medical specialists in the EU: requirements for the speciality psychiatry. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 1997;247(Suppl.):S45–7; UEMS Section Psychiatry. Charter on training of medical specialists in the EU: requirements for the speciality psychiatry. <www.uemspsychiatry.org/board/reports/Chapter6-11.10.03.pdf>; 2003 [last revision]] have had an impact on the actual conditions of training in psychiatry in the member countries. We gathered 22 questionnaires from 31 national representatives involved and 424 questionnaires completed by the chief of training and the representative of trainees at the responding training centres from 22 countries. The results give an overview about the practice of training in psychiatry in many European countries. While there are great differences between the training centres in different countries, apparent progress towards developing high standards in training in psychiatry has been made.