The European Dialysis and Transplantation Association-European Renal Association (EDTA-ERA) Registry, now some 30 years old, has collected data throughout Europe since its inception and now covers nearly 700 million people in some 36 countries. Approximately 2,000 centers report to it. It has been possible to follow the way in which treatment for renal failure has developed in Europe, and this has not always been uniform. The nature of the treatment offered, the survival of patients on treatment, and sequentially many areas of their management have been addressed and reported. The Registry continues to work both in the field of end-stage renal failure and other fields of renal disease. It is assisting in the development of national registries and subnational renal registries throughout Europe. The multinational, multicultural nature of its area of interests makes this Registry a uniquely placed source to study many aspects of the management of patients with renal disease and of contributing to their care in the variety of healthcare system that exist in Europe and in the countries bordering the Mediterranean.