Towards a consistent approach to nuclear structure: EFT of two- and many-body forces

We review the nuclear forces currently in use, i.e., the high-precision NN potentials of the 1990s and the nuclear two- and many-body forces based upon chiral effective field theory (EFT). We argue that the EFT approach is superior to any of the older schemes. Since accurate chiral forces are available now, the stage is set for microscopic nuclear structure to move into a new and exciting era.