Project in brief Pollution is one of the most important threats that the Mediterranean Sea is facing, partly due to the shipping operations and activities. It is worth mentioning that today more than 30% of all international sea-borne trade by volume originates from, is directed to Mediterranean ports or passes through its waters, and that nearly 25% of the worlds sea-transported oil transits the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover it is estimated that 2.000 merchant vessels of over 100 tons are at sea at any moment, with a total of 200.000 crossing the Mediterranean annually. A big scale oil spill incident would have devastating consequences at financial, environmental and social level for the population living next to coastal areas. Nowadays, the risk of an oil spill incident is greater than ever due to the deployment of offshore installations across the Mediterranean. RAOP-MED project aims to mitigate the risks associated with the exploitation of offshore installations in the South East Mediterranean region, including prevention, early detection and control of oil spills. Specific objectives To develop a comprehensive Risk Management Plan in order to: • evaluate the risk of an oil spill incident caused by offshore platforms • propose necessary structural and institutional changes and suggest possible response mechanisms that need to be taken into account so as to minimize the response time and improve the overall performance of competent authorities and relevant stakeholders to an oil spill Expected Results: • Risks related to offshore installations in the South Eastern Mediterranean Sea identified and assessed (prevention) • Better response and mobilization of resources in case of an oil spill accident related to offshore installations (early detection and control) • Oil spill contingency plans in the target countries re-drafted taking into account the new risks associated with the deployment of offshore platforms, with particular emphasis on redistribution of human resources and equipment to struggle any oil spill accident effectively • Awareness of authorities and people raised towards the consequences of an oil spill accident at Mediterranean Sea level