The EORTC Brain Tumor Group (BTG) is dedicated to clinical research of neoplasms of the brain. In the past years the BTG has carried out phase II and phase III trials on glial tumors, brain metastases and primary CNS lymphomas. Future studies will investigate novel drugs in combination with chemo-radiotherapy in glioblastoma multiforme, radiotherapy in meningioma, and chemotherapy in medulloblastoma. The BTG will also start a new phase III trial on newly diagnosed low-grade glioma comparing radiotherapy to temozolomide. In all our trials translational research is getting more and more important, often this is one of the most important ways to get useful conclusions from clinical trials. The wide recognition of the importance of translational research for clinical trials and in particular with targeted therapies implies that this type of research will become a mandatory element in many of our future trials.