LEP2: present and future performance and limitations

A brief review of the performance in 1997 is given where LEP was operated up to 92 GeV per beam. The upgrading in the past and next winter shut-down is described which allows to raise the beam energy to 94.5 GeV in 1998 and to gradually approach 100 GeV from 1999 onwards. Preparatory work and studies are summarized which aim at this further increase in beam energy with adequate luminosity. The ini tial performance in 1998 and the expected performance in the following years are reviewed.