The policy of the Department of Environment in the sector of Industrial Pollution Control has, as main objective, the prevention, the reduction and the control of pollution, which arises from industrial installations, so that the best possible protection of the health and welfare of the citizens and the protection of the environment of the Republic is safeguarded. The achievement of this objective is materialized through the effective implementation of specific legislation for the control of industrial pollution, on the basis of which an integrated system of prevention and control has been established that includes the licensing of industrial installations and the systematic monitoring of their operation with on site inspections. The licensing of industrial plants and the granting of the relevant Air Emission Permits are materialised through the provisions of the Air Pollution Control Law (Law 187(I)/2002). The Permits granted include operating conditions such as the obligation to install air pollution abatement techniques and not to exceed the set air emission standards. Within the framework of the implementation of legislation, particular importance has been given to checking for compliance, of the operating conditions and of the emission limits, specified in the licences. The emissions of the industrial plants are checked for compliance periodically with the help of a mobile monitoring unit which is appropriately equipped with specialised instruments. The monitoring of the operation of large-scale industrial installations was also achieved by competent inspectors through a data validation and control of the air emission values obtained from instruments installed at the stacks of the aforementioned installations. The establishment, by large-scale industrial installations of a continuous emission - monitoring programme (self - monitoring) is set as a requirement on the relevant Air Emission Permits. In the case where the implementation of an air emission self-monitoring programme is set as a requirement on the relevant Permits, the Inspectors of the Department of Labour Inspection have the right to have access to the obtained environmental data. The responsibility of the sector is focused on the control of atmospheric pollution for which the Department of Environment has the exclusive authority. For other issues of industrial pollution control such as liquid and solid industrial wastes, there is close co-operation with other co-authoritative services.