Direct subsidies UPM and SESPA 2026: what the State finances in mining safety

Key data

The Spanish mining sector has two technical and health pillars financed directly by the State in 2026. The Royal Decree 612/2026, of July 22, authorizes the direct award of subsidies to the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Health Service of the Principality of Asturias, two entities that for more than two decades have provided specialized support to the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines.

This direct award formula is not new: it was already applied in the fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024 and 2025, making this Royal Decree a continuation of a consolidated model of public-institutional collaboration for mining safety.

What does this regulation establish?

Royal Decree 612/2026 regulates the direct award of two independent subsidies under article 22.2.c) of the Law 38/2003, General Subsidies Law, which allows direct award when reasons of public interest and exceptional circumstances duly justified concur.

Each subsidy will be formalized through a specific agreement that must necessarily include:

• Detailed action program
• Budget for activities
• Expense justification system
• Monitoring and control mechanism
• Payment procedure

The justification for the direct award is based on the proven track record of both entities: more than 20 years of uninterrupted collaboration with the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines, which demonstrates their technical capacity and the practical impossibility of replacing them through ordinary competitive bidding without loss of continuity and specialization.

Economic and operational impact

Royal Decree 612/2026 does not specify the concrete amounts of each subsidy in its regulatory text: those amounts will be set in the individual agreements to be signed with each beneficiary entity. This is the usual model in this type of recurring direct awards.

From an operational perspective, the impact translates into:

• For the Madariaga Laboratory (UPM): continuity of technical services for analysis, testing and certification in explosives and mining safety, which are mandatory reference for sector companies.
• For the National Institute of Silicosis (SESPA): maintenance of health surveillance programs, diagnosis and prevention of occupational respiratory diseases—silicosis and pneumoconiosis—in mining workers.
• For the mining sector: guarantee of access to specialized services financed publicly, which reduces direct costs of regulatory compliance in occupational safety and health matters.

The recurrence of this formula in previous fiscal years (2018, 2019, 2020, 2024 and 2025) indicates that the model is consolidated and that sector companies can rely on the continuity of these technical and health support services.

Who does it affect?

• Polytechnic University of Madrid — Official Laboratory José María Madariaga: direct beneficiary of the subsidy for mining safety and explosives activities.
• Health Service of the Principality of Asturias (SESPA) — National Institute of Silicosis: direct beneficiary of the subsidy for prevention of occupational respiratory diseases.
• Mining sector companies: indirect beneficiaries by having reference laboratories and specialized health services financed by the State.
• Mining workers exposed to silica dust, coal or other agents causing pneumoconiosis: beneficiaries of the surveillance and prevention programs of the National Institute of Silicosis.
• General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines: body that manages and supervises the execution of both subsidies.
• Explosives manufacturers and users: affected by the certification and testing activities of the Madariaga Laboratory.

Practical example

A mining company with workers exposed to silica dust in its facilities has the legal obligation to subject its workforce to periodic health surveillance. Thanks to the subsidy to the National Institute of Silicosis, this center maintains its operational capacity to perform specialized diagnoses of silicosis and pneumoconiosis at no direct cost to the company regarding the center's financing.

Similarly, if that same company needs to validate the use of certain explosives in its operations, it can resort to the services of the Official Laboratory José María Madariaga of UPM, whose activity is guaranteed for 2026 thanks to the direct subsidy regulated by this Royal Decree.

In both cases, the company benefits from specialized technical and health infrastructure that the State keeps active through direct financing, preventing the sector from having to assume those costs entirely or leaving services without coverage due to lack of funding.

What should companies do now?

1. Mining sector companies: verify that their health surveillance programs for occupational respiratory diseases continue to rely on the services of the National Institute of Silicosis, whose financing is guaranteed for 2026.
2. Explosives user companies: confirm that the tests and certifications you require in 2026 can be processed with the Official Laboratory José María Madariaga of UPM, whose activity continues to be financed.
3. Occupational health and safety managers: update health surveillance plans by incorporating the reference to the National Institute of Silicosis as a reference center for diagnosis and prevention of pneumoconiosis.
4. UPM and SESPA: initiate procedures for signing agreements with the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines, which must include action program, budget, justification, monitoring and payment procedure.
5. All stakeholders: consult the full text of the Royal Decree 612/2026 in the BOE to learn the specific conditions of each subsidy once the agreements are formalized.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is merely informative in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-16012