P-375 Introduction: The presentation introduces an integrated analytic framework for risk governance which provides guidance for the development of comprehensive assessment and management strategies to cope with risks and uncertainty, in particular at the global level. It describes a common analytic structure for investigating and supporting the treatment of risk issues by the relevant actors in society and worldwide. Methods: The framework integrates scientific, economic, social and cultural aspects and includes the effective engagement of stakeholders. The concept of risk governance from chemical mixtures comprises a broad picture of risk: not only does it include what has been termed ‘risk management’ or ′risk analysis, it also looks at how risk-related decision-making unfolds when a range of actors is involved, requiring co-ordination and possibly reconciliation between a profusion of roles, perspectives, goals and activities. Results: The framework’s risk process breaks down into three main phases: ‘pre-assessment’, ‘appraisal’, and ‘management’. The risk process has ′communication’ as a companion to all phases of addressing and handling risks of chemical mixtures and is itself of a cyclical nature. However, the clear sequence of phases and steps offered by this process is primarily a logical and functional one and will not always correspond to reality. The purpose of the pre-assessment phase is to capture both the variety of issues that stakeholders and society may associate with a certain risk as well as existing indicators, routines, and conventions that may prematurely narrow down, or act as a filter for, what is going to be addressed as risk. What counts as a risk may be different for different groups of actors. The objective of the risk appraisal phase is to provide the knowledge base for the societal decision on whether or not a risk should be taken and, if so, how the risk can possibly be reduced or contained. Risk appraisal thus comprises a scientific assessment of both the risk and of questions that stakeholders may have concerning its social and economic implications. The risk management phase designs and implements the actions and remedies required to tackle risks with an aim to avoid, reduce, transfer or retain them. Based on the dominant characteristic of each of four risk categories (′simple’, ‘complexity’, ‘uncertainty’, ‘ambiguity’) it is possible to identify specific safety principles and, consequently, design a targeted risk management strategy. Discussion and Conclusion: Effective risk communication consequently fosters tolerance for conflicting viewpoints and provides the basis for their resolution, and creates trust in the institutional means for assessing and managing risk and related concerns. Eventually, risk communication can have a major impact on how well society is prepared to cope with risk and react to crises and disasters. This framework has been developed as a tool for guiding the work of institutions and bodies in devising comprehensive and transparent approaches to ‘govern’ a variety of globally relevant risks. It is suitable for the management of chemical mixtures, especially if they come along with a high level of uncertainty. The approaches for chemical risk are partial results of research which are carried out by an integrated project, supported by the European Union (European Commission, FP6 Contract No. 003956).