Treatment with the disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug methotrexate in dosages of 10–15 mg/m2 given once weekly has been proven to be safe and effective in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, as well as etanercept. With this regime it is possible to achieve clinical remission on and off medication but the best time to stop MTX after remission has not yet been established. The present trial was designed to determine if the time to discontinuation of methotrexate (6 versus 12 months) in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, after the patient has reached clinical remission, influence the time to relapse, the clinical course and the predictors of flare.