  The Virtual Observatory (VO) will revolutionise the way we do Astronomy by
allowing easy access to all astronomical data and by making the handling and
analysis of datasets at various locations across the globe much simpler and
faster. I report here on the need for the VO and its status in Europe,
concentrating on the recently started EURO-VO project, and then give two
specific applications of VO tools to high-energy astrophysics.
