Background REACH, the European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use (EC 1907/2006), entered into force on 01 June 2007, and will be implemented in different phases until 2018. REACH deals with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances, and aims at improving the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances. Dangerous chemical substances can escape into the environment during supply, transportation, storage or handling either during routine operations or as the result of unexpected and disastrous accidents. Such releases may cause immediate or long-term harm to human health and the environment by direct exposure and/or contamination of the air, water, soil, and food chain. The present project addresses the environmental risks associated with the supply and distribution stages of a specific class of chemicals - fuels, lubricants and petrochemicals - in Greece, where full implementation of the REACH protocol requires better co-ordination and guidance of the involved stakeholders, as far as the relevant Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) requirements are concerned. The project aims to provide a structured framework that will facilitate REACH implementation and promote the prevention of emissions and accidents that may cause harm to vulnerable environmental receptors and people. Objectives The major objective and main expected result of the project is to develop a protocol of good practices comprising essential HSE management system provisions, procedures, obligations and recommendations to all stakeholders in the management of chemical risks related to the supply and distribution of fuels, petrochemical products and other dangerous substances in Greece. Its ultimate goal is to support the implementation of REACH and to reduce damage to human health and the environment from emissions and accidental releases of such hazardous substances. This will involve the design and implementation of a lifecycle assessment (LCA) for the supply, transportation, handling and loading/unloading stages of a product, taking into account the probability of accidental spills in surface waters, especially close to the Greek coastline, or on land. Furthermore, an assessment of the current methods and Best Available Techniques (BATs) used to detect, quantify, monitor, and minimise contamination and risks from emissions and accidents will be made. Expected results: Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSes) will be created for the selected dangerous substances (SelDS) according to the REACH specifications, and new MSDS databases and a search engine for SelDS will be constructed; HSE risks will be identified per supply and transportation stage. The number of risks will be quantified as a percentage of all possible risks identified in line with MSDS contents and at least 500 samples are expected to be analysed; and Development of the REACH protocol and its validation by 10 key potential users. The protocol will address all lifecycle stages during supply and transportation and will be divided into four sections, for the different modes of transport: road, rail, sea, pipelines.