Given that the European-Mediterranean region is prone to destructive earthquakes, there was a need for a scientific organisation to be in charge of the determination, as quickly as possible (within one hour of the earthquake occurrence), of the characteristics of such earthquakes.
S obzirom da je euromediteranska regija podložna destruktivnim potresima, postojala je potreba za znanstvenom organizacijom koja će se baviti određivanjem karakteristika takvih potresa što je prije moguće (unutar jednog sata od pojave potresa).