According to the most recent data provided by the World Health Organization (2001), there are presently in Europe more than 77 000 psychiatrists, more than 46 000 clinical psychologists active in the mental health field, more than 285 000 psychiatric nurses, and more than 91 000 social workers operating in the mental health sector. Are these professionals being adequately updated on recent clinical and service developments in mental health? What is the role of international channels (in particular, those of international professional associations) in this process? These are difficult questions to answer, in the absence of a European systematic survey (which, of course, would be a very worthwhile initiative). I try, however, to provide here a framework for a discussion of these issues, as a background to the presentation of the programme of itinerant educational courses run by the Association of European Psychiatrists (AEP).