Important differences are seen in the nurse(+aid)-to-bed ratio between the different EU countries. These differences have been documented by a questionnaire send to all EU and EFTA countries. It looks very difficult to find a reason for these important differences, sometimes seen within one country. Further research is urgently needed to find out what is the minimum staffing level, adapted to the workload, for the quality of the care, the job satisfaction of the nurses and the satisfaction of the patients and their families.