High-energy Astrophysics and the Virtual Observatory

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.