The scheme succeeds the recently awarded 2013 subsidies of &euro74.5 million.

The 2014 payments, published in state gazette, Boletin Oficial del Estado, are also supplemented by legislation regarding the permanent termination of unprofitable mines by 2018.

&euro68.8 million will go towards mines that are due for closure.

There will be a further &euro300 million set aside for early retirements, &euro53.7 million for restructuring projects and &euro18 million for unspecified labour costs.

Payments for the struggling mines are due to be made by the third quarte, while the subsidies should be paid in the fourth.

Coal is Spain’s only significant domestic energy resource, totalling 4500 million tonnes, of which accessible reserves amount to 1156Mt.

For many years it has been the country with least local primary energy in its energy mix.

Spain depends on imports for around 85 % of its energy needs, compared with the average in the EU of 55%.

This places a burden on the Spanish economy by increasing its trade deficit and foreign debt.