Homogeneous earthquake catalogues with high-quality data over large areas and long time periods are rare. Bulletins from international seismological centres such as the International Seismological Centre (ISC), U.S. National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) and European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) cover short time spans. A list of worldwide events by NEIC and the “standard” catalogue for Europe and the Mediterranean by Kárník (1996) have large time spans but are restricted by high size thresholds. Each of these catalogues is thus insufficient for, e.g., seismic hazard studies, especially in areas of low seismic activity, such as Europe north of the Mediterranean region.

Grünthal et al. (2009a) published a catalogue for central, northern, and northwestern Europe with unified M_w for events with M_w ≥ 3.5 in the time frame 1000-2004. This catalogue, which contains over 7,600 entries, is based on reliable data from over 30 national and regional catalogues and many special studies. A map of the epicentral distribution is shown above and the catalogue is available as CENEC 2008 Catalogue. The data have been scrutinized and beside homogenizing the magnitude from the different catalogues - for which regression relations between different magnitude types, and between magnitude and intensity, were established - identification and elimination of non-tectonic events, fake events, and duplicates from different catalogues have been performed.

In a special study, Grünthal et al. (2009b), the effectiveness of the homogenization of M_w for different local catalogues was investigated and found good in the vast majority of cases.

These catalogue activities are substantially supported by AonBenfield.

A previous catalogue for the same area, Grünthal and Wahlström (2003a, b), covers the years  1300 - 1993. This is available as G&W (2003) Catalogue. An extension to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region for M_w ≥ 4 earthquakes (EMEC) is in preparation.