1 INTRODUCTION
2 INSTRUMENTATION AND DATA SAMPLE
2.1 The XMM-Newton Optical Monitor
2.2 Data selection
3 DATA PROCESSING
3.1 Raw data
3.2 Bad pixels
3.3 Bias, dark-current and spatial response variations
3.4 Fixed-pattern image structure
3.5 Source detection
3.6 Photometry of point sources
3.7 Photometry of extended sources
3.8 Astrometric correction
3.9 Quality flagging
3.10 Merging and concatenation of the source lists
4 VALIDATION OF THE CATALOGUE
4.1 Astrometry
4.2 Photometric accuracy
4.3 Photometric uncertainties
4.4 Extended source parameterization
4.5 Visual screening for quality control
4.6 Matching of sources between wavebands and observations
5 CATALOGUE CHARACTERISTICS
5.1 Source numbers and sky coverage
5.2 Magnitude and signal to noise distributions
5.3 Time sampling
5.4 Source colours
5.5 Redshift distribution
5.6 Synergy with 2XMM
6 COMPARISON WITH OMCAT
7 KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE XMM-SUSS AND PLANS FOR IMPROVEMENT
7.1 Very extended sources
7.2 Photometry of point and extended sources
7.3 Lower limits for non-detections are not provided
7.4 Over-conservative photometric uncertainties at faint magnitudes
7.5 Detections of the same source in different observations are sometimes not matched
7.6 Accuracy of coincidence loss in extended sources is unquantified
7.7 Area over which photometry is integrated for extended sources is not given
7.8 Other planned improvements to future releases
8 CONCLUSIONS