The first meeting of the Genetics Work Group 4 from TINNET was held in Stockholm, at the Karolinska Institutet. Eight participants attended this meeting representing Sweden, Spain, Germany, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands. The group members developed a step-wise approach to tackle the challenging aspects of understanding tinnitus in its genetics origins. This included a plan of action for addressing ethical issues, legal aspects, the design of the research studies, and finally the strategies for successful research funding by the EU.