There is considerable variation in the incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) across Europe. The likelihood of attempted resuscitation also varies. To better understand the factors that contribute to variation, more data on incidence, management and outcomes from OHCA is required. A European, multi-centre study provides the opportunity to uncover differences throughout Europe and may help find explanations for these differences. Results may also have potential to support the development of quality benchmarking between European Emergency Medical Services (EMS).